Analysis of Rhetorical Figures in Covergirl Advertisements.
ABSTRACT
Iklan adalah salah satu kunci bagi para produsen untuk memasarkan barang
atau jasa mereka. Iklan dapat membantu menarik perhatian konsumen agar mereka
terbujuk untuk membeli barang yang ditawarkan. Oleh karena itu, untuk membuat
konsumen tertarik dengan produk yang dibuat iklan harus dibuat semenarik
mungkin. Salah satu cara untuk membuat iklan lebih menarik adalah dengan
memakai gaya bahasa dalam iklan tersebut.
Dalam bidang linguistik, penggunaan gaya bahasa dikaji dalam ilmu
Stylistics. Ilmu stylistics mencakup beberapa kajian, salah satunya adalah rhetorical
figures. Dalam skripsi ini, saya meneliti penggunaan rhetorical figures pada empat
belas iklan produk kosmetik CoverGirl.
Berdasarkan dari hasil penelitian, saya menemukan bahwa pengulangan
adalah jenis operasi yang paling sering digunakan dalam iklan CoverGirl. Selain
itu ditemukan juga bahwa penggunaan Rhetorical Figures dalam iklan CoverGirl
berfungsi membantu konsumen untuk lebih mudah mengingat keunggulan produk
dan menarik perhatian konsumen terhadap iklan.
iv
Maranatha Christian University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................... i
TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................... ii
LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................. iii
ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................... iv
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study .....................................................................1
1.2 Statement of the Problem .....................................................................4
1.3 Purpose of the Study ............................................................................4
1.4 Method of Research .............................................................................5
1.5 Organization of the Thesis ...................................................................5
CHAPTER TWO: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
2.1 Scheme .................................................................................................6
2.2 Trope ..................................................................................................10
CHAPTER THREE: ANALYSIS OF RHETORICAL FIGURES IN
COVERGIRL ADVERTISEMENTS ....................................................14
CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSION ..................................................................52
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................57
APPENDICES
Appendix A: CoverGirl advertisements ..................................................62
Appendix B: Table B1 List of Rhetorical Figures ...................................70
ii
Maranatha Christian University
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 ..................................................................................................................15
Figure 2 ..................................................................................................................19
Figure 3 ..................................................................................................................21
Figure 4 ..................................................................................................................23
Figure 5 ..................................................................................................................27
Figure 6 ..................................................................................................................31
Figure 7 ..................................................................................................................33
Figure 8 ..................................................................................................................37
Figure 9 ..................................................................................................................39
Figure 10 ................................................................................................................41
Figure 11 ................................................................................................................43
Figure 12 ................................................................................................................45
Figure 13 ................................................................................................................47
Figure 14 ................................................................................................................49
iii
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background of the Study
Nowadays, people generally are familiar with advertisements. It is easy to
find advertisements everywhere. Advertisements can be found in different types of
media, such as newspapers, television, websites and social media. For most
businesses, advertisement is an important key in improving their business
(moneymatters101, 2016). This is also supported by Barnali Chetia in her journal
article entitled Rhetorical Devices in English Advertisement Texts in India: A
Descriptive Study. She says advertisements can be said to be “vital marketing tool
as well as a powerful communication force” (2015, p. 980). This is because
advertising help companies to drive their message to consumers. What is more, the
main goal of advertisements is to persuade the consumer to buy their product.
Advertisements inform consumers about the brands and the variety of products
useful to them. In order to attract the consumers, a company or an advertising
agency has to produce a creative advertisement.
1
Maranatha Christian University
To attract target consumers, advertisements can use celebrities, creative designs and
persuasive language.
According to Gillian Dyer in her book Advertising as Communication,
language also has important parts, besides the visual aspect (2009, p. 111). It is also
said that “language has a powerful influence over people and their behaviour.
Language also helps people to identify a product and remember it” (linguarama,
2016). Thus, the choice of language is vital to advertisements.
In linguistics, there is a study called stylistics. Stylistics is the study of style.
People have different styles of using language to deliver a message. Geoffrey Leech
in his book Style in Fiction, describes style as “dress of thought” (2007, p. 13). This
refers to how the writers present an idea. Stylistics has various tools: one of the
tools is rhetorical figures.
Rhetorical figures play an important role in advertisements. According to
McQuarrie and Mick in their journal article, Figures of Rhetoric in Advertising
Language, the use of rhetorical figures is “to produce a more positive attitude
toward the advertisement” (1996, p. 427). The positive attitude is the consumers’
attention toward the product. For example, an advertisement that uses rhetorical
figures is expected to be more memorable. When one can remember the good
quality of the product, they may be attracted to buy the product.
According to McQuarrie and Mick, rhetorical figures can be defined “as an
artful deviation in the form taken by statement” (1996, p. 424). The word rhetoric
itself is originally from Greek, rhetorike (Chetia, 2015, p. 480). Based on the
website called literarydevices, rhetoric means “a technique of using language to
persuade people in spoken or written form” (n.d). The function of rhetoric is to
2
Maranatha Christian University
convince the readers or the listeners about the author’s point. McQuarrie and Mick
state that there are two kinds of rhetoric mode, namely, scheme and trope (1996, p.
426).
McQuarrie and Mick explain that scheme concerns with regularity. In
contrast to scheme, trope deals with irregularity (1996, p. 426). Each rhetorical
operation is divided into two parts. Scheme is divided into two parts, which are
repetition and reversal. Trope is divided into two operations, which are substitution
and destabilization.
After reading Figures of Rhetoric in Advertising Language journal article, I
become interested in rhetorical figures in advertisements. So, in this thesis I decide
to analyze rhetorical figures in advertisements. I also decide to focus only on one
brand, which is CoverGirl. The reason why I choose CoverGirl is because
CoverGirl’s advertisements are interesting, as they use rhetorical figures.
Furthermore, I want to know the types of rhetorical figures which are used and how
rhetorical figures can give a positive effect in the CoverGirl advertisements.
The tittle of my thesis is “The Rhetorical Figures Analysis in CoverGirl
Advertisements.” CoverGirl is a cosmetic brand from America. It was established
in 1961. (CoverGirl, n.d.) In 1997, CoverGirl introduced their famous tagline,
“Easy, Breezy, Beautiful...” Since the first time I heard this tagline, I have always
remembered it. The sound of the tagline is pleasant to hear and easy to remember.
Later, while studying Stylistics, I found out that the tagline has rhetorical figures.
When I looked at CoverGirl advertisements, I found that their advertisement
is as interesting as their taglines. They use not only pleasant sounds but also some
3
Maranatha Christian University
repetitive words. Later, I also realized that CoverGirl advertisements use other
kinds of rhetorical figure, such as comparisons and opposite words.
It is hoped that, this topic is significant to make the reader will be aware of
rhetorical figures. They will be able to understand the purpose of rhetorical figures
in advertisements and how advertisements can be delivered. In addition, this thesis
can encourage the reader to use rhetorical figures to convey some messages not
only in advertisement but also in daily life.
(805 words)
1.2
Statement of the Problem
Based on the topic that I choose, I am going to analyze the following
problems:
1. What types of rhetorical figures are found in CoverGirl advertisements?
2. How do the rhetorical figures help make CoverGirl advertisements
interesting and memorable?
1.3
Purpose of the Study
The purposes of this study are:
1. To know the types of rhetorical figures in CoverGirl’s advertisement.
2. To know how the rhetorical figures help make CoverGirl advertisements
interesting and memorable.
4
Maranatha Christian University
1.4
Method of Research
First of all, I decided to choose the linguistic area to be discussed, which is
Stylistics. Then, I focused on rhetorical figures. I searched for cosmetic brand
products that have rhetorical figures in their advertisement. After focusing on one
brand, I analyzed the data. Finally, I wrote my thesis.
1.5
Organization of the Thesis
This thesis consists of four chapters. Chapter One is Introduction, which is
divided into five parts: Background of the Study, Statement of the Problem, Purpose
of the Study, Method of Research, and Organization of the Thesis. Chapter Two is
Theoretical Framework, which provides a brief description of the theories that I am
going to use in my analysis. Chapter Three presents the analysis of the data. The
last chapter, Chapter Four, is Conclusion. At the end of the thesis, there are
Bibliography and Appendix.bghg
fh
5
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER FOUR
CONCLUSION
In this chapter, I would like to draw a conclusion based on my findings from
the analysis that has been done in the previous chapter. Furthermore, I would like
to present my opinion related to the use of rhetorical figures in CoverGirl
advertisements.
From the fourteen selected CoverGirl advertisement that I have analyzed, I
find eighteen different types of rhetorical figures. The rhetorical figures are divided
into four types of operations. They are repetition, reversal, substitution and
destabilization. In the repetition operation, I find thirty-eight lines which employ
parallelism, rhyme, assonance, consonance, alliteration, anaphora, epistrophe, and
anadiplosis. In the reversal operation, I find three lines which use antithesis. In the
substitution operation, there are nine lines which involve hyperbole, hypopora,
rhetorical question, portmentau, and solecism. Regarding, last operation,
destabilization, I find five lines, in which metaphor, simile, catachresis and allusion
are used.
52
Maranatha Christian University
Based on my findings, it can be concluded that in CoverGirl advertisements,
the mostly used rhetorical figure is repetition. CoverGirl usually uses repetition to
show the feature of the product. When the consumers read the line that has
repetition, it is easier for them to remember the line. The line will automatically
resonate in their mind. Moreover, repetition is also easy to be understood.
Reversal is the most rarely used in the fourteen CoverGirl advertisements
that I used as my data. In terms of reversal, CoverGirl only uses antithesis.
The uses of antithesis in the CoverGirl advertisements is quite significant in
order to make the advertisement interesting. The use of antithesis helps CoverGirl
emphasizes the feature of the product. By reading the line that contains opposite
words, the consumers will instantly notice the feature.
The next operation is substitution. In the terms of substitution, CoverGirl
more often uses hypophora than the others. By using hypophora, CoverGirl and the
consumers have an interactive dialogue. It reduces the distance between CoverGirl
and consumers. As a result, consumers will be more interested in the product,
because they will feel that they are involved.
The last operation of rhetorical figure is destabilization. Destabilization is
rarely used in this CoverGirl advertisement. In my opinion, why CoverGirl rarely
uses destabilization is because sometimes destabilization needs a higher level of
language competence from the consumer to understand the meaning shift. For
instance, when CoverGirl uses simile or metaphor, the consumers must fully
understand what things are actually being compared. If the consumers fail to
53
Maranatha Christian University
understand the comparison, they would not cannot grasp the message. As a
consequence, the line will not be attractive and CoverGirl would fail to deliver the
message of the line to the consumers.
In terms of destabilization operation, I am interested in how CoverGirl uses
allusion. Although in my analysis I only find one allusion, I think the use of allusion
is interesting. In my opinion, when an advertiser wants to use allusion, they should
consider several things. They have to estimate the knowledge of the potential target
consumers and make sure they will understand the allusion. In addition, the
advertiser has to choose the appropriate allusion to make sure the readers
understand the message they want to deliver in their advertisements. The use of
allusion takes a higher risk, but when the advertiser successfully uses the allusion,
it will make the advertisement more interesting and easy to remember.
In doing this analysis, I find that CoverGirl often uses several kinds of
rhetorical figures in the same line. The use of different rhetorical figures in the same
line can make the advertisement more attractive to the consumers. Furthermore,
some of the product names also contain rhetorical figures. This, of course, will help
the consumers recognize the product easily.
This brings me to the conclusion that the uses of rhetorical figure in
CoverGirl advertisement is significant. CoverGirl tries to make their advertisement
interesting and memorable by using rhetorical figures. Moreover, rhetorical figures
in CoverGirl advertisement are easy to be found.
After doing an analysis of the fourteen advertisements by CoverGirl, in my
opinion, the use of rhetorical figures in advertisements is important. As the purpose
54
Maranatha Christian University
of an advertisement is to promote a product or brand, the producer must find the
strategies to grab their target consumers’ attention, especially since there are so
many cosmetic product on the market. In order to win the market, CoverGirl should
make their advertisements interesting in order to make the consumer persuaded to
buy their products.
The producer hopes that when consumers remember the product, it will be
more likely for them to choose the advertised product rather than the others. I
believe that the use of rhetorical figures can affect to the consumers behavior in
choosing the product as the consumers are more likely to choose the product that
something they are familiar into.
I believe that analyzing stylistics in advertisements is interesting. There are
still many linguistic areas that can be analyzed in advertisements. Now, I would
like to share some suggestions for the future researchers who are interested in doing
an analysis on a similar topic or types of data that I have done.
First, I suggest that the future researchers should fully understand all the
theories that are going to be used. In analyzing rhetorical figures, the future
researchers should not rely on only one source of information. They should be openminded to any possible theories that could be used in their analysis. Secondly, future
researchers should be able to choose the right data that are suitable for the topic.
Furthermore, the researchers should make sure that they will have enough data to
be analyzed.
By all means, the future researchers might also analyze the use of the
rhetorical figures in other cosmetic brands. If the future researchers want to analyze
55
Maranatha Christian University
the rhetorical figures in advertisements which are outside the field of cosmetics, I
suggest that they should choose a brand that has many competitors. Lastly, it is best
for future researchers to read journal articles that analyze the same topic as them. It
helps to add information to their topic.
(1003 words)
56
Maranatha Christian University
ANALYSIS OF RHETORICAL FIGURES
IN COVERGIRL ADVERTISEMENTS
a thesis
submitted to the English Department
of the Faculty of Letters
in partial fulfilment of the requirements
for the ‘Sarjana’ degree
TESSA SKOLASTIKA
1241002
ENGLISH DEPARTEMENT
FACULTY OF LETTERS
MARANATHA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
BANDUNG
2017
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, I would like to thank God for His grace that is
sufficient for me. Thank you for working perfectly in my weakness and giving
me wisdom, strength and people around me so that I am able to finish my thesis.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my research supervisor,
Bernadette Santosa, S.S., M.A, who has patiently guided and given her time to
correct my work and give suggestions so that I can get the right understanding
and finish this thesis. I would like also to show my gratitude to Cheryl D. Groth,
M. Ed., for devoting much time to correcting my work and her encouragement
and prayer. It is a great privilege and honor to work under their guidance.
I am profoundly grateful to my beloved parents and my sister. Thank you
for always believing in me, encouraging and supporting me to finish this thesis.
My special thanks go to the following friends for their continued support
and friendship: Morin, Irene, Dian, and Ria.
Last but not least, I would like to thank all my friends, lecturers, and
people who have contributed to the writing and completion of this thesis,
especially to Maranatha 1 and Mahasiswa GKPB for their endless support,
encouragement and prayer.
i
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary Sources
Development, D. (2016). New Lip Perfection. Retrieved 20 February 2016, from
http://www.celebrityendorsementads.com/celebrityendorsements/magazine-ads/2011/04/
Goldwert, L. (2016). LastBlast Volume. NY Daily News. Retrieved 22 February
2016, from http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/fashion/covergirl-modelwears-false-eyelashes-mascara-ad-fine-print-reveals-lash-inserts-article1.127069
New
bombshell
volume.
(n.d.).
Retrieved
25
October
2016,
from
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/06/04/article-26485531E76BA3700000578-31_634x861.jpg
New CoverGirl blast flipstick. (n.d.). Retrieved 3 October 2016, from
http://styleitonline.com/
New Intense Shadow Blast. (2016). Beausic.files.wordpress.com. Retrieved 22
February 2016, from https://beausic.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/drewbarrymore-cg-intense-shadow-blast-03.jpg
57
Maranatha Christian University
New
lashblast
24
HR.
(n.d.).
Retrieved
20
October
2016,
from
http://styleitonline.com/wpcontent/uploads/2013/04/c298c7f5b0387c58_Sophia.preview.png
New
lastblastfusion.
(2016).
Retrieved
16
February
2016,
from
http://www.popbee.com/image/2010/05/drew-barrymore-covergirl-summerspring-2010-ad-campaign-170510-4.jpg
New lashblast length mascara with nylon. (n.d.). Retrieved 20 October 2016, from
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5290/5340051053_5125f20281_z.jpg
New
lashblast
volume.
(n.d.).
Retrieved
20
October
2016,
from
http://coolspotters.com/files/photos/951067/pink-and-covergirl-lashblastvolume-blasting-mascara-gallery.jpg
New natureluxe mousse mascara. (n.d.). Retrieved 15 September 2016, from
http://www.projectinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/Taylor-SwiftCovergirl-ad-pulled.jpg
New natureluxe silk foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved 22 February 2016, from
https://krissy9090.wordpress.com/2011/09/14/blog-2/
New outlast stay fabulous 3in1 foundation . (n.d.). Retrieved 3 October 2016, from
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/sLY6VanwrAo/VzJLft5BsxI/AAAAAAAAAos/2mghgkWToWkvXPzprvsl
Jt4esGztj2tcACLcB/s1600/sofia-vergara-covergirl-outlast-makeup-lg.jpg
New the Super Sizer Fibers Mascara. (n.d.). Retrieved 3 October 2016, from
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/04/08/21/32FBC4EE00000578-0-imagea-17_1460148889301.jpg
58
Maranatha Christian University
Ready Set Gorgeous Foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved 25 October 2016, from
http://www.celebrityendorsementads.com/celebrityendorsements/celebrities/katy-perry/images/katy-perry-covergirl-ad-lg.jpg
References
About
Covergirl.
(n.d.).
Retrieved
12
April
2016,
from
http://news.covergirl.com/about/history
Cambridge Dictionary Free English Dictionary, Translations and Thesaurus. (n.d).
Retrieved 27 October 2016, from http://dictionary.cambridge.org/
Catachresis.
(n.d).
Retrieved
8
September
2016,
from
http://changingminds.org/techniques/language/figures_speech/catachresis.ht
m
Chetia, B. (2015). Rhetorical Devices in English Advertisement Texts in India: A
Descriptive Study. International Journal Of Social Science And Humanity,
5(11), 980-984. Chetia, B. (2015). doi:10.7763/ijssh.2015.v5.591
Collins
Dictionary.
(n.d).
Retrieved
27
October
2016,
from
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/
Definition and Examples of Rhetorical Tropes. (2015). Retrieved 20 February 2016,
from http://grammar.about.com/od/tz/g/tropeterm.htm
Dubovičienė, T., & Skorupa, P. (2014). The Analysis of some Stylistic Features of
English Advertising Slogans. Žmogus Ir Žodis, 16(3), 61-75. doi:
10.15823/zz.2014.013
Dyer, G. (2009). Advertising as communication (3rd ed.). London: Methuen.
59
Maranatha Christian University
Harris, Robert. (2010). A Handbook of Rhetorical Devices. Retrieved 20 February
2016, from http://virtualsalt.com/rhetoric5.htm#
Hornby, A. (2010). Oxford advanced learner's dictionary (8th ed.). Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
Johnston, Kevin. (2016). What Are Three Rhetorical Purposes for Campaign
Advertisements?.
Retrieved
23
February
2016,
from
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/three-rhetorical-purposes-campaignadvertisements-37417.html
Jones, D. (2011). Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary (18th ed.).
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Leech, G. & Short, M. (2007). Style in fiction (2nd ed., p. 13). London: Longman.
LiteraryDevices Editors. (2013). Literary devices. Retrieved November 4, 2014,
from http://literarydevices.net/
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. (n.d). Retrieved 27 October 2016,
from http://www.ldoceonline.com/
McQuarrie, E., & Mick, D. (1996). Figures of Rhetoric in Advertising Language. J
Consum Res, 22(4), 424. McQuarrie, E. & Mick, D. (1996). Figures of
Rhetoric in Advertising Language. J Consum Res 22(4), 424. doi:
10.1086/209459
Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Thesaurus. (n.d). Merriam-webster.com.
Retrieved 27 October 2016, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/
MoneyMatters101: The only place online to find Business and Finance news in a
simple
format.
(2016).
Retrieved
9
April
2016,
from
http://moneymatters101.com/wib/advertise.asp
60
Maranatha Christian University
Rhetorics. (2016). Retrieved 20 February 2016, from http://www2.anglistik.unifreiburg.de/intranet/englishbasics/Rhetoricslist.htm
The Language Of Advertising. (n.d). Retrieved 3 April 2016, from
http://www.linguarama.com/ps/marketing-themed-english/the-language-ofadvertising.html
Wheeler,
D.
(n.d.).
Schemes.
Retrieved
21
February
2016,
from
https://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/schemes.html
Zimmer, J. (2012). Rhetorical Devices: Hypophora. Manner of Speaking. Retrieved
11 October 2016, from https://mannerofspeaking.org/2012/01/25/rhetoricaldevices-hypophora/
61
Maranatha Christian University
Iklan adalah salah satu kunci bagi para produsen untuk memasarkan barang
atau jasa mereka. Iklan dapat membantu menarik perhatian konsumen agar mereka
terbujuk untuk membeli barang yang ditawarkan. Oleh karena itu, untuk membuat
konsumen tertarik dengan produk yang dibuat iklan harus dibuat semenarik
mungkin. Salah satu cara untuk membuat iklan lebih menarik adalah dengan
memakai gaya bahasa dalam iklan tersebut.
Dalam bidang linguistik, penggunaan gaya bahasa dikaji dalam ilmu
Stylistics. Ilmu stylistics mencakup beberapa kajian, salah satunya adalah rhetorical
figures. Dalam skripsi ini, saya meneliti penggunaan rhetorical figures pada empat
belas iklan produk kosmetik CoverGirl.
Berdasarkan dari hasil penelitian, saya menemukan bahwa pengulangan
adalah jenis operasi yang paling sering digunakan dalam iklan CoverGirl. Selain
itu ditemukan juga bahwa penggunaan Rhetorical Figures dalam iklan CoverGirl
berfungsi membantu konsumen untuk lebih mudah mengingat keunggulan produk
dan menarik perhatian konsumen terhadap iklan.
iv
Maranatha Christian University
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................... i
TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................... ii
LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................. iii
ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................... iv
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study .....................................................................1
1.2 Statement of the Problem .....................................................................4
1.3 Purpose of the Study ............................................................................4
1.4 Method of Research .............................................................................5
1.5 Organization of the Thesis ...................................................................5
CHAPTER TWO: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
2.1 Scheme .................................................................................................6
2.2 Trope ..................................................................................................10
CHAPTER THREE: ANALYSIS OF RHETORICAL FIGURES IN
COVERGIRL ADVERTISEMENTS ....................................................14
CHAPTER FOUR: CONCLUSION ..................................................................52
BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................................57
APPENDICES
Appendix A: CoverGirl advertisements ..................................................62
Appendix B: Table B1 List of Rhetorical Figures ...................................70
ii
Maranatha Christian University
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 ..................................................................................................................15
Figure 2 ..................................................................................................................19
Figure 3 ..................................................................................................................21
Figure 4 ..................................................................................................................23
Figure 5 ..................................................................................................................27
Figure 6 ..................................................................................................................31
Figure 7 ..................................................................................................................33
Figure 8 ..................................................................................................................37
Figure 9 ..................................................................................................................39
Figure 10 ................................................................................................................41
Figure 11 ................................................................................................................43
Figure 12 ................................................................................................................45
Figure 13 ................................................................................................................47
Figure 14 ................................................................................................................49
iii
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background of the Study
Nowadays, people generally are familiar with advertisements. It is easy to
find advertisements everywhere. Advertisements can be found in different types of
media, such as newspapers, television, websites and social media. For most
businesses, advertisement is an important key in improving their business
(moneymatters101, 2016). This is also supported by Barnali Chetia in her journal
article entitled Rhetorical Devices in English Advertisement Texts in India: A
Descriptive Study. She says advertisements can be said to be “vital marketing tool
as well as a powerful communication force” (2015, p. 980). This is because
advertising help companies to drive their message to consumers. What is more, the
main goal of advertisements is to persuade the consumer to buy their product.
Advertisements inform consumers about the brands and the variety of products
useful to them. In order to attract the consumers, a company or an advertising
agency has to produce a creative advertisement.
1
Maranatha Christian University
To attract target consumers, advertisements can use celebrities, creative designs and
persuasive language.
According to Gillian Dyer in her book Advertising as Communication,
language also has important parts, besides the visual aspect (2009, p. 111). It is also
said that “language has a powerful influence over people and their behaviour.
Language also helps people to identify a product and remember it” (linguarama,
2016). Thus, the choice of language is vital to advertisements.
In linguistics, there is a study called stylistics. Stylistics is the study of style.
People have different styles of using language to deliver a message. Geoffrey Leech
in his book Style in Fiction, describes style as “dress of thought” (2007, p. 13). This
refers to how the writers present an idea. Stylistics has various tools: one of the
tools is rhetorical figures.
Rhetorical figures play an important role in advertisements. According to
McQuarrie and Mick in their journal article, Figures of Rhetoric in Advertising
Language, the use of rhetorical figures is “to produce a more positive attitude
toward the advertisement” (1996, p. 427). The positive attitude is the consumers’
attention toward the product. For example, an advertisement that uses rhetorical
figures is expected to be more memorable. When one can remember the good
quality of the product, they may be attracted to buy the product.
According to McQuarrie and Mick, rhetorical figures can be defined “as an
artful deviation in the form taken by statement” (1996, p. 424). The word rhetoric
itself is originally from Greek, rhetorike (Chetia, 2015, p. 480). Based on the
website called literarydevices, rhetoric means “a technique of using language to
persuade people in spoken or written form” (n.d). The function of rhetoric is to
2
Maranatha Christian University
convince the readers or the listeners about the author’s point. McQuarrie and Mick
state that there are two kinds of rhetoric mode, namely, scheme and trope (1996, p.
426).
McQuarrie and Mick explain that scheme concerns with regularity. In
contrast to scheme, trope deals with irregularity (1996, p. 426). Each rhetorical
operation is divided into two parts. Scheme is divided into two parts, which are
repetition and reversal. Trope is divided into two operations, which are substitution
and destabilization.
After reading Figures of Rhetoric in Advertising Language journal article, I
become interested in rhetorical figures in advertisements. So, in this thesis I decide
to analyze rhetorical figures in advertisements. I also decide to focus only on one
brand, which is CoverGirl. The reason why I choose CoverGirl is because
CoverGirl’s advertisements are interesting, as they use rhetorical figures.
Furthermore, I want to know the types of rhetorical figures which are used and how
rhetorical figures can give a positive effect in the CoverGirl advertisements.
The tittle of my thesis is “The Rhetorical Figures Analysis in CoverGirl
Advertisements.” CoverGirl is a cosmetic brand from America. It was established
in 1961. (CoverGirl, n.d.) In 1997, CoverGirl introduced their famous tagline,
“Easy, Breezy, Beautiful...” Since the first time I heard this tagline, I have always
remembered it. The sound of the tagline is pleasant to hear and easy to remember.
Later, while studying Stylistics, I found out that the tagline has rhetorical figures.
When I looked at CoverGirl advertisements, I found that their advertisement
is as interesting as their taglines. They use not only pleasant sounds but also some
3
Maranatha Christian University
repetitive words. Later, I also realized that CoverGirl advertisements use other
kinds of rhetorical figure, such as comparisons and opposite words.
It is hoped that, this topic is significant to make the reader will be aware of
rhetorical figures. They will be able to understand the purpose of rhetorical figures
in advertisements and how advertisements can be delivered. In addition, this thesis
can encourage the reader to use rhetorical figures to convey some messages not
only in advertisement but also in daily life.
(805 words)
1.2
Statement of the Problem
Based on the topic that I choose, I am going to analyze the following
problems:
1. What types of rhetorical figures are found in CoverGirl advertisements?
2. How do the rhetorical figures help make CoverGirl advertisements
interesting and memorable?
1.3
Purpose of the Study
The purposes of this study are:
1. To know the types of rhetorical figures in CoverGirl’s advertisement.
2. To know how the rhetorical figures help make CoverGirl advertisements
interesting and memorable.
4
Maranatha Christian University
1.4
Method of Research
First of all, I decided to choose the linguistic area to be discussed, which is
Stylistics. Then, I focused on rhetorical figures. I searched for cosmetic brand
products that have rhetorical figures in their advertisement. After focusing on one
brand, I analyzed the data. Finally, I wrote my thesis.
1.5
Organization of the Thesis
This thesis consists of four chapters. Chapter One is Introduction, which is
divided into five parts: Background of the Study, Statement of the Problem, Purpose
of the Study, Method of Research, and Organization of the Thesis. Chapter Two is
Theoretical Framework, which provides a brief description of the theories that I am
going to use in my analysis. Chapter Three presents the analysis of the data. The
last chapter, Chapter Four, is Conclusion. At the end of the thesis, there are
Bibliography and Appendix.bghg
fh
5
Maranatha Christian University
CHAPTER FOUR
CONCLUSION
In this chapter, I would like to draw a conclusion based on my findings from
the analysis that has been done in the previous chapter. Furthermore, I would like
to present my opinion related to the use of rhetorical figures in CoverGirl
advertisements.
From the fourteen selected CoverGirl advertisement that I have analyzed, I
find eighteen different types of rhetorical figures. The rhetorical figures are divided
into four types of operations. They are repetition, reversal, substitution and
destabilization. In the repetition operation, I find thirty-eight lines which employ
parallelism, rhyme, assonance, consonance, alliteration, anaphora, epistrophe, and
anadiplosis. In the reversal operation, I find three lines which use antithesis. In the
substitution operation, there are nine lines which involve hyperbole, hypopora,
rhetorical question, portmentau, and solecism. Regarding, last operation,
destabilization, I find five lines, in which metaphor, simile, catachresis and allusion
are used.
52
Maranatha Christian University
Based on my findings, it can be concluded that in CoverGirl advertisements,
the mostly used rhetorical figure is repetition. CoverGirl usually uses repetition to
show the feature of the product. When the consumers read the line that has
repetition, it is easier for them to remember the line. The line will automatically
resonate in their mind. Moreover, repetition is also easy to be understood.
Reversal is the most rarely used in the fourteen CoverGirl advertisements
that I used as my data. In terms of reversal, CoverGirl only uses antithesis.
The uses of antithesis in the CoverGirl advertisements is quite significant in
order to make the advertisement interesting. The use of antithesis helps CoverGirl
emphasizes the feature of the product. By reading the line that contains opposite
words, the consumers will instantly notice the feature.
The next operation is substitution. In the terms of substitution, CoverGirl
more often uses hypophora than the others. By using hypophora, CoverGirl and the
consumers have an interactive dialogue. It reduces the distance between CoverGirl
and consumers. As a result, consumers will be more interested in the product,
because they will feel that they are involved.
The last operation of rhetorical figure is destabilization. Destabilization is
rarely used in this CoverGirl advertisement. In my opinion, why CoverGirl rarely
uses destabilization is because sometimes destabilization needs a higher level of
language competence from the consumer to understand the meaning shift. For
instance, when CoverGirl uses simile or metaphor, the consumers must fully
understand what things are actually being compared. If the consumers fail to
53
Maranatha Christian University
understand the comparison, they would not cannot grasp the message. As a
consequence, the line will not be attractive and CoverGirl would fail to deliver the
message of the line to the consumers.
In terms of destabilization operation, I am interested in how CoverGirl uses
allusion. Although in my analysis I only find one allusion, I think the use of allusion
is interesting. In my opinion, when an advertiser wants to use allusion, they should
consider several things. They have to estimate the knowledge of the potential target
consumers and make sure they will understand the allusion. In addition, the
advertiser has to choose the appropriate allusion to make sure the readers
understand the message they want to deliver in their advertisements. The use of
allusion takes a higher risk, but when the advertiser successfully uses the allusion,
it will make the advertisement more interesting and easy to remember.
In doing this analysis, I find that CoverGirl often uses several kinds of
rhetorical figures in the same line. The use of different rhetorical figures in the same
line can make the advertisement more attractive to the consumers. Furthermore,
some of the product names also contain rhetorical figures. This, of course, will help
the consumers recognize the product easily.
This brings me to the conclusion that the uses of rhetorical figure in
CoverGirl advertisement is significant. CoverGirl tries to make their advertisement
interesting and memorable by using rhetorical figures. Moreover, rhetorical figures
in CoverGirl advertisement are easy to be found.
After doing an analysis of the fourteen advertisements by CoverGirl, in my
opinion, the use of rhetorical figures in advertisements is important. As the purpose
54
Maranatha Christian University
of an advertisement is to promote a product or brand, the producer must find the
strategies to grab their target consumers’ attention, especially since there are so
many cosmetic product on the market. In order to win the market, CoverGirl should
make their advertisements interesting in order to make the consumer persuaded to
buy their products.
The producer hopes that when consumers remember the product, it will be
more likely for them to choose the advertised product rather than the others. I
believe that the use of rhetorical figures can affect to the consumers behavior in
choosing the product as the consumers are more likely to choose the product that
something they are familiar into.
I believe that analyzing stylistics in advertisements is interesting. There are
still many linguistic areas that can be analyzed in advertisements. Now, I would
like to share some suggestions for the future researchers who are interested in doing
an analysis on a similar topic or types of data that I have done.
First, I suggest that the future researchers should fully understand all the
theories that are going to be used. In analyzing rhetorical figures, the future
researchers should not rely on only one source of information. They should be openminded to any possible theories that could be used in their analysis. Secondly, future
researchers should be able to choose the right data that are suitable for the topic.
Furthermore, the researchers should make sure that they will have enough data to
be analyzed.
By all means, the future researchers might also analyze the use of the
rhetorical figures in other cosmetic brands. If the future researchers want to analyze
55
Maranatha Christian University
the rhetorical figures in advertisements which are outside the field of cosmetics, I
suggest that they should choose a brand that has many competitors. Lastly, it is best
for future researchers to read journal articles that analyze the same topic as them. It
helps to add information to their topic.
(1003 words)
56
Maranatha Christian University
ANALYSIS OF RHETORICAL FIGURES
IN COVERGIRL ADVERTISEMENTS
a thesis
submitted to the English Department
of the Faculty of Letters
in partial fulfilment of the requirements
for the ‘Sarjana’ degree
TESSA SKOLASTIKA
1241002
ENGLISH DEPARTEMENT
FACULTY OF LETTERS
MARANATHA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
BANDUNG
2017
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First and foremost, I would like to thank God for His grace that is
sufficient for me. Thank you for working perfectly in my weakness and giving
me wisdom, strength and people around me so that I am able to finish my thesis.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my research supervisor,
Bernadette Santosa, S.S., M.A, who has patiently guided and given her time to
correct my work and give suggestions so that I can get the right understanding
and finish this thesis. I would like also to show my gratitude to Cheryl D. Groth,
M. Ed., for devoting much time to correcting my work and her encouragement
and prayer. It is a great privilege and honor to work under their guidance.
I am profoundly grateful to my beloved parents and my sister. Thank you
for always believing in me, encouraging and supporting me to finish this thesis.
My special thanks go to the following friends for their continued support
and friendship: Morin, Irene, Dian, and Ria.
Last but not least, I would like to thank all my friends, lecturers, and
people who have contributed to the writing and completion of this thesis,
especially to Maranatha 1 and Mahasiswa GKPB for their endless support,
encouragement and prayer.
i
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Primary Sources
Development, D. (2016). New Lip Perfection. Retrieved 20 February 2016, from
http://www.celebrityendorsementads.com/celebrityendorsements/magazine-ads/2011/04/
Goldwert, L. (2016). LastBlast Volume. NY Daily News. Retrieved 22 February
2016, from http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/fashion/covergirl-modelwears-false-eyelashes-mascara-ad-fine-print-reveals-lash-inserts-article1.127069
New
bombshell
volume.
(n.d.).
Retrieved
25
October
2016,
from
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/06/04/article-26485531E76BA3700000578-31_634x861.jpg
New CoverGirl blast flipstick. (n.d.). Retrieved 3 October 2016, from
http://styleitonline.com/
New Intense Shadow Blast. (2016). Beausic.files.wordpress.com. Retrieved 22
February 2016, from https://beausic.files.wordpress.com/2012/10/drewbarrymore-cg-intense-shadow-blast-03.jpg
57
Maranatha Christian University
New
lashblast
24
HR.
(n.d.).
Retrieved
20
October
2016,
from
http://styleitonline.com/wpcontent/uploads/2013/04/c298c7f5b0387c58_Sophia.preview.png
New
lastblastfusion.
(2016).
Retrieved
16
February
2016,
from
http://www.popbee.com/image/2010/05/drew-barrymore-covergirl-summerspring-2010-ad-campaign-170510-4.jpg
New lashblast length mascara with nylon. (n.d.). Retrieved 20 October 2016, from
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5290/5340051053_5125f20281_z.jpg
New
lashblast
volume.
(n.d.).
Retrieved
20
October
2016,
from
http://coolspotters.com/files/photos/951067/pink-and-covergirl-lashblastvolume-blasting-mascara-gallery.jpg
New natureluxe mousse mascara. (n.d.). Retrieved 15 September 2016, from
http://www.projectinspired.com/wp-content/uploads/Taylor-SwiftCovergirl-ad-pulled.jpg
New natureluxe silk foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved 22 February 2016, from
https://krissy9090.wordpress.com/2011/09/14/blog-2/
New outlast stay fabulous 3in1 foundation . (n.d.). Retrieved 3 October 2016, from
https://1.bp.blogspot.com/sLY6VanwrAo/VzJLft5BsxI/AAAAAAAAAos/2mghgkWToWkvXPzprvsl
Jt4esGztj2tcACLcB/s1600/sofia-vergara-covergirl-outlast-makeup-lg.jpg
New the Super Sizer Fibers Mascara. (n.d.). Retrieved 3 October 2016, from
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/04/08/21/32FBC4EE00000578-0-imagea-17_1460148889301.jpg
58
Maranatha Christian University
Ready Set Gorgeous Foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved 25 October 2016, from
http://www.celebrityendorsementads.com/celebrityendorsements/celebrities/katy-perry/images/katy-perry-covergirl-ad-lg.jpg
References
About
Covergirl.
(n.d.).
Retrieved
12
April
2016,
from
http://news.covergirl.com/about/history
Cambridge Dictionary Free English Dictionary, Translations and Thesaurus. (n.d).
Retrieved 27 October 2016, from http://dictionary.cambridge.org/
Catachresis.
(n.d).
Retrieved
8
September
2016,
from
http://changingminds.org/techniques/language/figures_speech/catachresis.ht
m
Chetia, B. (2015). Rhetorical Devices in English Advertisement Texts in India: A
Descriptive Study. International Journal Of Social Science And Humanity,
5(11), 980-984. Chetia, B. (2015). doi:10.7763/ijssh.2015.v5.591
Collins
Dictionary.
(n.d).
Retrieved
27
October
2016,
from
https://www.collinsdictionary.com/
Definition and Examples of Rhetorical Tropes. (2015). Retrieved 20 February 2016,
from http://grammar.about.com/od/tz/g/tropeterm.htm
Dubovičienė, T., & Skorupa, P. (2014). The Analysis of some Stylistic Features of
English Advertising Slogans. Žmogus Ir Žodis, 16(3), 61-75. doi:
10.15823/zz.2014.013
Dyer, G. (2009). Advertising as communication (3rd ed.). London: Methuen.
59
Maranatha Christian University
Harris, Robert. (2010). A Handbook of Rhetorical Devices. Retrieved 20 February
2016, from http://virtualsalt.com/rhetoric5.htm#
Hornby, A. (2010). Oxford advanced learner's dictionary (8th ed.). Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
Johnston, Kevin. (2016). What Are Three Rhetorical Purposes for Campaign
Advertisements?.
Retrieved
23
February
2016,
from
http://smallbusiness.chron.com/three-rhetorical-purposes-campaignadvertisements-37417.html
Jones, D. (2011). Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary (18th ed.).
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Leech, G. & Short, M. (2007). Style in fiction (2nd ed., p. 13). London: Longman.
LiteraryDevices Editors. (2013). Literary devices. Retrieved November 4, 2014,
from http://literarydevices.net/
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English. (n.d). Retrieved 27 October 2016,
from http://www.ldoceonline.com/
McQuarrie, E., & Mick, D. (1996). Figures of Rhetoric in Advertising Language. J
Consum Res, 22(4), 424. McQuarrie, E. & Mick, D. (1996). Figures of
Rhetoric in Advertising Language. J Consum Res 22(4), 424. doi:
10.1086/209459
Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Thesaurus. (n.d). Merriam-webster.com.
Retrieved 27 October 2016, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/
MoneyMatters101: The only place online to find Business and Finance news in a
simple
format.
(2016).
Retrieved
9
April
2016,
from
http://moneymatters101.com/wib/advertise.asp
60
Maranatha Christian University
Rhetorics. (2016). Retrieved 20 February 2016, from http://www2.anglistik.unifreiburg.de/intranet/englishbasics/Rhetoricslist.htm
The Language Of Advertising. (n.d). Retrieved 3 April 2016, from
http://www.linguarama.com/ps/marketing-themed-english/the-language-ofadvertising.html
Wheeler,
D.
(n.d.).
Schemes.
Retrieved
21
February
2016,
from
https://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/schemes.html
Zimmer, J. (2012). Rhetorical Devices: Hypophora. Manner of Speaking. Retrieved
11 October 2016, from https://mannerofspeaking.org/2012/01/25/rhetoricaldevices-hypophora/
61
Maranatha Christian University