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Advertising on till receipts in socialist Czechoslovakia: language, argumentation and ideology

Advertising on till receipts in socialist Czechoslovakia: language, argumentation and ideology This paper aims to provide a description of the language of advertising in socialist Czechoslovakia (1948-1989) and to offer an understanding of its nature. It focuses on significant linguistic characteristics of the discourse and on the means of argumentation and persuasion.Design/methodology/approachLinguistic investigation of the grammar and pragmatics of language used and content analysis studying the lexical level of ads while also considering the broader context in the way of discourse analysis.FindingsThe paper shows that statements are the most frequent utterance type across all the decades and appeals, which one could associate with a direct and strong addressee orientation (and, perhaps, authoritarian system, too), are only present marginally. Concerning what is advertised, the promotion of manufacturer/seller is frequent compared to specific products. A category of product type was relatively important, especially in the 1950s and 1960s. Unlike capitalist advertising, socialist promotion shows also instances of socio-educational and state-political promotion.Originality/valueAs no such study was conducted so far, this paper shows that Czechoslovak socialist advertising constructed an imagination that was very much dependent on consumerism just like advertising in Western capitalist countries, and at the same time, it was reflecting specific socio-political circumstances. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Journal of Historical Research in Marketing Emerald Publishing

Advertising on till receipts in socialist Czechoslovakia: language, argumentation and ideology

Dufek, Ondřej
Journal of Historical Research in Marketing , Volume 13 (1): 26 – Mar 16, 2021
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Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
© Emerald Publishing Limited
ISSN
1755-750X
DOI
10.1108/jhrm-12-2019-0051
Publisher site
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Abstract

This paper aims to provide a description of the language of advertising in socialist Czechoslovakia (1948-1989) and to offer an understanding of its nature. It focuses on significant linguistic characteristics of the discourse and on the means of argumentation and persuasion.Design/methodology/approachLinguistic investigation of the grammar and pragmatics of language used and content analysis studying the lexical level of ads while also considering the broader context in the way of discourse analysis.FindingsThe paper shows that statements are the most frequent utterance type across all the decades and appeals, which one could associate with a direct and strong addressee orientation (and, perhaps, authoritarian system, too), are only present marginally. Concerning what is advertised, the promotion of manufacturer/seller is frequent compared to specific products. A category of product type was relatively important, especially in the 1950s and 1960s. Unlike capitalist advertising, socialist promotion shows also instances of socio-educational and state-political promotion.Originality/valueAs no such study was conducted so far, this paper shows that Czechoslovak socialist advertising constructed an imagination that was very much dependent on consumerism just like advertising in Western capitalist countries, and at the same time, it was reflecting specific socio-political circumstances.

Journal

Journal of Historical Research in Marketing – Emerald Publishing

Published: Mar 16, 2021

Keywords: Advertising; Language; Socialism; Consumption; Ideology; Consumerism

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