Pragmalinguistic Peculiarities of English Slogan in Fashion Domain/Chapter 4. Structure of advertising text

Advertising text is understood not only as a communication unit, but as a complex semiotic entity which is a sequence of symbolic units, expressed in terms of structural elements (slogan, title, the main text (body), font, colour and other graphical tools, drawings, company name, logo) that are the most effectively used to achieve the main goal - to influence the audience in order to create the needed effect.

Structure of advertisement

Advertising text consists of four main elements: title, subtitle, body, slogan. Of course, not every advertising text consists of the elements mentioned above. The usage of each element is determined by the specific conditions and goals that can be achieved only through representation of the advertising text.

Title

The title draws attention to the text. Its goal is to make a potential buyer be interested in the promoted product or service. It is the anchor of the advertisement because it is the most effective element which calls the recipient a to action.

Subtitle

Subtitle is the bridge between the title and the main text (body). If a recipient is interested after hearing or reading a title, the subtitle gives another opportunity to make him buy.

Body

The main text (body) presents a complete and specific information about the product, expands the facts mentioned in the title and subtitle. It informs and persuades. It make the advertisement reasonable.

Slogan

The final phrase of any advertisement is a slogan. "Slogan - a short advertising motto which usually precedes or follows the advertising appeal. It is one of the main tools for drawing attention and interest of the audience" [37]. A slogan usually repeats the main message of the advertising text. It happens because the beginning and the end of the advertisement are those parts, which are the easiest to remember. They are more emotional, more vivid and brighter than other parts of the advertising text.

Advertising slogan as communicative phenomenon

Advertising slogan has many definitions.

1. Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines it as a word or phrase that is easy to remember, used for example by a political party or in advertising to attract people’s attention or to suggest an idea quickly.
2. It is “short, memorable advertising phrase: "Just Do It," when a product or company uses a slogan consistently, the slogan can become an important element of identification in the public’s perception of the product.”
3. Greg Myers uses the term "slogan" for any catchy phrase.

Functions of slogan

The advertising slogan (a motto of the brand) is a bright, catchy phrase that is easy to remember and which represents the main idea of the campaign using the vivid imagery. A slogan helps distinguish a company among other companies and adds integrity to the series of its promotional activities. Important characteristics of a slogan are rhythmic and phonetic repetition, contrast, word play and the effect of a hidden dialogue .Slogan plays the most important role in the advertisement. Being the last part in the commercial utterance, it not only concludes everything which was stated in the body of the advertisement, but also repeats the main idea compactly and is the most memorable part of the advertisement whose function is to catch the recipient's attention. Along with promoted brand name it expresses the main idea of the advertising concept. Very often an advertising text consists of a promoted brand name and a slogan, which goes with it. .

Categorization of slogans

Maggie Bowring divides slogans into 3 groups: slogans which represent the company; slogans which promote the advertising campaign; and slogans which promote a product or a service.

1. The slogan of the company presents the information about the “philosophy” of a company and emphasizes the benefits of the products or the company itself. Such slogans usually are a part of a logo.
2. The slogan, which promotes the advertising campaign, usually applies to the entire campaign thus serves as a kind of a title to all the activities which take place during the campaign.
3. Trade slogans are associated with a particular product or service they promote.

So, we can say that the slogan is an independent genre type of advertising text which has its own stylistic and lexical features that distinguish it among other components of an advertising text.