FUNCTIONAL INTERPRETATION OF SLOGAN IN ADVERTISEMENT BILLBOARD.

FUNCTIONAL INTERPRETATION OF SLOGAN IN
ADVERTISEMENT BILLBOARD

A Thesis

Submitted to the English Applied Linguistics Study Program
in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of
Magister Humaniora

By:
KHAIRIL AMRI
Registration Number: 8126111015

ENGLISH APPLIED LINGUISTICS STUDY PROGRAM
POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL
STATE UNIVERSITY OF MEDAN
2017

ABSTRACT

Amri, Khairil. 8126111015. “Functional Interpretation of Slogan in

Advertisement Billboard”. English Applied Linguistics Study Program. Post
Graduate School. State University of Medan. 2017.
The objectives of this study are to find out the functional interpretation which used
in the Medan advertisement billboard, the realization of advertisement slogan in
linguistics form, and the reason of using more picture in the advertisement. It is a
descriptive qualitative research design. The data of this research are the
advertisement billboard which is located in the surrounding of Capital Medan. From
the finding, it is concluded that all the advertisement dominantly are covered by the
material process (64.93%) which means the advertisement showing the physical
activity in realization, as advertisement that is selling things/services, modal of
certainty dominantly shows in all the advertisement reach 64.29% which means the
advertisement persuades the customers to buy without making any doubt.
Meanwhile, the advertisement uses topical theme, marked and unmarked theme as
showing their products/services. And to make the customers easier to understand
the purposes of the advertisement the advertisement creator chooses constant theme
pattern in the advertisement. In addition, the advertisement creator shows that the
advertisement billboard uses more picture than verbal coding because it is easier to
spread ideas and get attention using picture, and the verbal coding make the
customers understand to identify and remember the product.


i

ABSTRAK
Amri, Khairil. 8126111015. " Functional Interpretation of Slogan in Advertisement
Billboard ". Linguistik Terapan Bahasa Inggris. Sekolah Pasca Sarjana. Universitas
Negeri Medan. 2017.
Tujuan dari penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui interpretasi fungsional yang
digunakan dalam papan iklan Medan dan realisasi slogan iklan dalam bentuk
linguistik. Desain penelitian ini menggunakan penelitian kualitatif. Data dari
penelitian ini adalah papan iklan yang terletak di sekitar Medan. Dari temuan
tersebut, dapat disimpulkan bahwa semua iklan didominasi oleh material process
(64,93%) yang berarti iklan menunjukkan aktivitas fisik dalam realisasinya, seperti
iklan yang menjual barang / jasa, modal certainty menunjukkan dominasinya dalam
semua iklan mencapai 64,29% yang berarti iklan membujuk pelanggan untuk
membeli tanpa membuat keraguan. Sementara itu, iklan menggunakan topical
theme, marked dan unmarked sebagai penunjuk bahwa itu adalah produk/ jasa. Dan
untuk membuat pelanggan lebih mudah untuk memahami tujuan dari iklan maka
pembuat iklan memilih pola tema yang tetap untuk iklan. Selain itu, pembuat iklan
menunjukkan bahwa babyak papan iklan yang lebih menggunakan gambar daripada
tulisan karena lebih mudah untuk menunjukkan ide-ide dan lebih mudah

mendapatkan perhatian menggunakan gambar, dan tulisan membuat pelanggan
memahami untuk mengidentifikasi dan mengingat produk.

ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First of all, it is thankful for Allah SWT who had given blessing, health and
luck so that the writer is able to finish his studies and this piece of academic master
piece. By the time, the writer also would like to say special mention for people
whose contributed in the process of finishing this research. It is a pleasure to convey
writer’s gratitude to them all in his humble acknowledgement.
Then, he would like to say his sincere gratitude to Prof. Amrin Saragih,
M.A., Ph.D. as his first adviser for his suggest, advice, and guidance from the early
stage of this research as well as giving his extraordinary experience through this
work. Above all and the most needed, he provided his in flinching encouragement
and support in such an excellent way.
He also would like to acknowledge gratefully Dr. Anni Holila Pulungan, M.
Hum. as his second adviser. It is because she had also given her advice and guidance
in finishing this research.

Many thanks go in particular to Prof. Dr. Busmin Gurning, M. Pd., Prof. Dr.
Sumarsih, M. Pd., and Dr. Rahmad Husein, M. Ed., as his reviewers and examiners
for the valuable inputs to be inserted in this thesis.

iii

Finally, he conveys special acknowledgement for his beloved parents and
family (brother and wife) for their understanding, caring and support. In deep,
special acknowledgement is also conveyed for Farid Ma’ruf Harahap for his kind
in helping the writer as long as the process.

Medan,

April 2017

Khairil Amri

iv

TABLE OF CONTENTS


Pages
ABSTRACT

............................................................................................................

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

i

....................................................................................

iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS .........................................................................................

v

LIST OF TABLES .....................................................................................................


viii

LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................

ix

LIST OF APPENDICES ...........................................................................................

x

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION .......................................................................

1

1.1 The Background of the Study ................................................

1


1.2 The Problems of the Study ....................................................

7

1.3 The Objective of the Study ….………….…………… .........

8

1.4 The Scope of the Study ..........................................................

8

1.5 The Significance of the Study ................................................

8

REVIEW OF LITERATURE ....................................................

10


2.1 Systemic Functional Linguistics ............................................

10

2.2 Functional Interpretation………………………… ................

11

CHAPTER II

2.2.1 Experiential Function

...............................................

12

...........................................................

12


2.2.1.1.1 Material Process……… .....................................

13

2.2.1.1.2 Mental Process……… .......................................

14

2.1.1.1.3 Relational Process ..............................................

15

2.1.1.1.4 Behavioural Process ...........................................

17

2.1.1.1.5 Verbal Process ....................................................

18


2.1.1.1.6 Existential Process ..............................................

19

2.2.2 Interpersonal Function ..................................................

19

2.2.2.1Modality ......................................................................

20

2.2.1.1 Process

2.2.2.1.1 Modal certainty: will, must,
be bound to .....................................................

21

2.2.2.1.2 Probability, or ‘reasonable inference’:

should, ought ...................................................
v

22

2.2.2.1.3 Epistemic Possibility:
may, might, can, could …... ..............................

23

2.2.3 Textual Function ...........................................................

25

2.2.3.1 Theme and Rheme..................... ............................

25

2.2.3.2 Characteristic of Theme…......... ...........................

26

2.2.3.3 Mark and Unmark Theme .....................................

27

2.2.3.4 Types of Theme .....................................................

28

2.2.3.4.1 Ideational (Topical) Theme ..............................

28

2.2.3.4.2 Interpersonal Theme .......................................

28

2.2.3.4.3 Textual Theme ................................................

29

2.2.3.5 Multiple Theme .....................................................

30

2.2.3.6 Thematic Progression................ ............................

31

2.3 Advertisement ........................................................................

35

2.3.1 The Definition of Advertisement ..................................

35

2.3.1.1 Commercial Advertisement ................................

36

2.3.1.2 Non-commercial Advertisement .........................

37

2.3.2 The Concept of Advertising…….. ................................

38

2.3.3 The Objective of Advertising .....................................

39

2.3.4 The Function of Advertising

.....................................

39

2.4 The Language of Advertising ..............................................

40

2.5 Billboard .................................................................................

41

2.5.1 Traditional Billboard ...................................................

42

2.5.2 Mechanical Billboard ....................................................

43

2.5.3 Mobile Billboard ........................................................

44

2.5.4 Digital Billboard (LED) ................................................

44

2.6 Text

CHAPTER III

....................................................................................

45

2.6.1 Headline ........................................................................

45

2.6.2 Subhead ........................................................................

45

2.6.3 Slogan ............................................................................

46

2.7 Previous Relevant Studies ...................................................

47

2.8 Conceptual Framework ..........................................................

50

RESEARCH METHOD .............................................................

52

3.1 Research Design .....................................................................

52

vi

CHAPTER IV

3.2 Source of the Data ..................................................................

53

3.3 Technique of Data Collection ................................................

53

3.4 Technique of Data Analysis ...................................................

54

3.5 Trustworthiness ......................................................................

56

DATA ANALYSIS, RESEARCH FINDINGS, AND
DISCUSSION… ..........................................................................

58

4.1 Data Analysis…. ....................................................................

58

4.1.1 Functional Interpretation Identification .....................

62

4.1.1.1 Process Analysis .................................................

63

4.1.1.2 Modality Analysis ...............................................

66

4.1.1.3 Thematic Analysis...............................................

67

4.1.2 Picture over Text Identification..................................

69

4.1.3 The Realisation of Functional Interpretation
Used in the Advertisement Billboard .........................

74

4.1.3.1 The Realisation of Material Process Used in the
Advertisement Billboard .....................................

74

4.1.3.2 The Realisation of Modal of Certainty Used in the
Advertisement Billboard .....................................

75

4.1.3.3 The Realisation of Thematic Used in the
Advertisement Billboard .....................................

75

4.1.4 The Reason Used More Picture than Text in the
Advertisement Billboard ............................................

75

4.2 Research Findings ..................................................................

76

4.3 Discussion ..............................................................................

78

CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS ..................................

81

5.1 Conclusions ............................................................................

81

5.2 Suggestions ............................................................................

83

REFERENCES

.......................................................................................................

84

APPENDICES

.......................................................................................................

87

CHAPTER V

vii

LIST OF TABLES

Pages
Table 2.1 Process type in English (Martin et al 1997:102) .....................................

13

Table 2.2 Six categories of relational process

.....................................................

16

Table 4.1 Focusing Data ...........................................................................................

61

Table 4.2 Process Result ...........................................................................................

72

Table 4.3 Modality Result .........................................................................................

72

Table 4.4 Thematic Result ........................................................................................

73

Table 4.5 Picture Identification Result......................................................................

73

viii

LIST OF FIGURES

Pages
Figure 1.1 Sell Advance Billboard................................... ..........................................

3

Figure 2.1 Traditional Billboard on Jalan Gatot Subroto................................... ........

43

Figure 2.2 Billboards on Jalan Yuki Simpang Raya................................... ...............

43

Figure 2.3 Mobile Billboard................................... ....................................................

44

Figure 2.4 Digital Billboard (LED) in JW Marriot Hotel Medan...............................

44

Figure 2.5 Nike “Just Do It”............................... ........................................................

46

Figure 2.6 . McDonald’s “I’m lovin’ it”.....................................................................

46

Figure 3.1 Interactive Model of Data Analysis............................... ...........................

54

Figure 4.1 Automotive Billboard.............................. .................................................

59

Figure 4.2 Banking Billboard.............................. .......................................................

59

Figure 4.3 Cigarette Billboard.............................. ......................................................

59

Figure 4.4 Daily Needs Billboard.............................. .................................................

59

Figure 4.5 Electronic Billboard.............................. ....................................................

60

Figure 4.6 Furniture Billboard.............................. ......................................................

60

Figure 4.7 More Picture in Automotive Billboard.............................. .......................

70

Figure 4.8 More Picture in Banking Billboard.............................. .............................

70

Figure 4.9 More Text in Automotive Billboard.............................. ...........................

70

Figure 4.10 More Text in Banking Billboard.............................. .................................

70

ix

LIST OF APPENDICES

Pages
Appendix 1

Advertisement Billboard................................... ...................................

87

Appendix 2

Text and Slogan in the advertisement billboards.................... .............

126

Appendix 3.a Process Analysis ...................................................................................

137

Appendix 3.b Modality Analysis ................................................................................

150

Appendix 3.c Thematic Analysis ................................................................................

162

x

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