Introduction to Textual Genre: Advertising Text

Relevance of the Theme

The advertising text is a type of textual genre extremely present in our daily lives, in various forms and media, from billboards, radio and TV commercials, to ads on social networks. As it is a form of persuasive communication directed at the public, studying this genre helps in understanding the mechanisms of language manipulation and how society is influenced by these discourses.

Through this study, students will be able to develop critical skills, such as the perception of persuasive strategies, the understanding of the construction of emotional and rational appeals, as well as a more in-depth analysis of the linguistic and visual elements used in advertising texts.

Contextualization

In the journey of studying Portuguese Language, after acquiring knowledge about literary and non-literary texts, our students will embark on the exploration of the advertising text, a textual genre very different from those commonly seen in the classroom.

In the 8th grade of Elementary School, students have a solid foundation on the structure and function of texts, and it is an opportune moment to deepen the analysis of these texts in a more specific context, such as advertising texts.

Understanding this textual genre will provide, in addition to enriching the literary and cultural repertoire of students, a better ability to analyze and interpret texts in general. Furthermore, the study of argumentative texts, such as advertising texts, is fundamental for the formation of critical and conscious citizens.

Theoretical Development

Components

• Introduction: The advertising text is a communication piece that aims to sell products, services, or ideas. It uses persuasive strategies to attract and convince its target audience. It is, therefore, an eminently argumentative textual genre, which highlights positive aspects and tries to minimize or conceal the negatives of what is being promoted.

• Elements of Advertising Text: Advertising texts are composed of various elements, among which:

  • Slogan: A short and easily memorable phrase that summarizes the main concept of the advertising campaign.
  • Logo: Graphic representation of the brand, aimed at imprinting the brand's image in the consumer's mind.
  • Images and Photographs: Aim to evoke emotions and connect the target audience with the product or service being advertised.
  • Power Words: Use of adjectives and action verbs to create an emotional impact or to highlight the benefits of what is being advertised.
  • Testimonials or Endorsements: Use of real (or fictional) people's accounts who allegedly benefited from the product or service.

• Structure of Advertising Text: Advertising texts usually follow the following structure:

  • Presentation of the Problem: Identifies and explores a need or problem that the target audience may have.
  • Presentation of the Product or Service: Highlights the features of the product or service being advertised, emphasizing how it solves the problem or meets the need presented earlier.
  • Argumentation: Presents convincing reasons for the target audience to acquire the product or service.
  • Conclusion or Closing: Reinforces the importance and urgency of acquiring the product or service, directing the target audience to do so.

Key Terms

• Textual Genre: A class of texts that have common structural and functional characteristics, such as recipes, news, stories, chronicles, among others. The textual genre is defined by the use of language in a specific sociocultural context.

• Advertising Text: It is a specific type of textual genre that aims at persuasion. The advertising text is used to sell or promote a product, service, brand, or idea.

• Persuasion: A form of communication that seeks to influence or convince the receiver to adopt a certain attitude, belief, or opinion. It is an essential component of advertising text.

Examples and Cases

• Case Study: Reading and analyzing different advertising ads from different media (TV, magazines, social networks, etc.) to identify and discuss the elements and strategies used in each of them. Also discuss the expected effects of each of these elements on the target audience.

• Practical Examples: Creation of a fictional advertising ad, where students should identify and use the elements and strategies of advertising text that were previously discussed. The central idea is for students to apply, in a critical and conscious manner, the persuasion techniques learned in the study of the advertising text genre.

Detailed Summary

Relevant Points

• Advertising Text as an Argumentative Genre: The advertising text is an argumentative genre that uses various persuasive strategies to convince and attract the target audience. It explores the consumer's needs and desires, emphasizing the benefits of the product or service being advertised and minimizing (or concealing) its disadvantages.

• Elements of Advertising Text: The advertising text is composed of several interdependent elements. Some of them include: slogan (short and memorable phrase that synthesizes the campaign), logo (graphic representation of the brand), images and photographs (to establish emotional connections), power words (adjectives and action verbs that create emotions), and testimonials/endorsements (accounts of real or fictional people).

• Structure of Advertising Text: Advertising texts generally follow a structure that begins with the identification and exploration of a problem or need of the target audience, followed by the presentation of the product/service as the solution to that problem. Next, there is an argumentation about the reasons why the product or service is the best option, and finally, a conclusion that reinforces the importance and urgency of acquiring what is being advertised.

• Versatile and Omnipresent Textual Genre: Understanding the advertising text genre is fundamental for the formation of critical and conscious citizens. Furthermore, it intertwines with other textual genres and is found in a multitude of contexts, making its study even more relevant.

Conclusions

• Language of Advertising Texts: Advertising texts present a persuasive, simple, clear, and direct language, with the aim of captivating the reader and encouraging the purchase or adoption of what is being advertised.

• Connection Between Text and Context: The advertising text is inextricably linked to the context in which it is inserted, and its success is directly related to its ability to connect and relate to that context.

• Critical Analysis: The study of advertising text allows the development of critical skills, such as the ability to recognize the persuasion strategies used, analyze the veracity of the claims made, and understand the ideals and cultural values that are promoted.

Suggested Exercises

1. Identification of Elements: Ask students to bring examples of advertising texts from different media (magazines, TV, social networks, etc.) and have them identify the elements discussed in class in these texts. Have a class discussion about the different types of elements present in each example.

2. Structure Analysis: Distribute some advertising texts to the class. Each group should analyze the text's structure (presentation of the problem, presentation of the product/service, argumentation, and conclusion) and present their analysis in class.

3. Creation of Advertising Text: Divide the class into groups and ask them to create an advertising text for a fictional product. Students should apply the strategies learned in class and, in the end, present and justify their choices of elements and structure to the rest of the class.