This paper adopts the method of comparative approach, to be specific, theory analysis and case study。 Through some concrete advertisements examples, the paper can provide a further understanding of how different cultural values influence advertisement design。 Under the help of theories, the author tries to figure out the common and different culture values between Chinese and American advertising。 What is more, research value of the paper is noteworthy。 With the integration of Oriental and Western cultures, the paper analyzes the advertising and explores the differences as well as the common features between the Chinese and American culture values to produce a significant and far-reaching advantages to the internationalization of advertising。
An apparent phenomenon in our daily lives is that people perhaps are confused about what the advertisement wants to express or why the advertisement can not stimulate them to purchase? As a matter of fact, advertising has permeated every corner of people's lives which has influenced their lifestyle and their viewpoint of consumption concept。 Accordingly, advertisements in certain culture surely embodies its unique culture values, which definitely will gain customers from the similar culture。 Some implication to advertisers are provided to operate better and gain much more benefits,and intercultural communication thinking should be applied by many advertising companies, only in this way can they handle business more effectively and efficiently。
2。 Literature Review
2。1 Studies on advertising
2。1。1 Definition of advertising文献综述
The word “advertise” originated from the Latin word “advertise”, which means “to inform somebody of something” or “to make known to the public” (Mueller。 B 55)。 There are many kinds of definitions for advertising。 Advertising is defined as “a method of delivering a message from a sponsor through an impersonal medium, to many people。” “ the use of mass media to carry paid massage for a commercial purpose or to advance a cause, institution, or political candidate” and “any paid from of non-personal presentation and promotion of idea, goods or service by of identified sponsor” (Mueller。B 55)。
Various types of definition for advertisement can be found in a large number of books and dictionaries。 In Collins English-Chinese Dictionary (32) “advertising is the activity of creating advertisements and making sure people see them。” In Oxford Advanced Learner’s English-Chinese Dictionary (30) “advertising is the activity and industry of advertising things to people on television, in newspaper, on the Internet。” And in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English (33) “advertising is the business of encouraging people to buy goods by means of advertisement。”
2。1。2 Function of advertisement
Peter Newmark (Newmark 32) has clarified three core functions of advertisements: “the expressive, the informative and the vocative functions。” First, the main aim of advertisements is to motivate mind share of a certain product or service among consumers so as to help them to remember well the brand or to stimulate them to purchase it。 Second, a great quantity of knowledge of products and services derives from advertisements。 Through advertisement language, we distinguish one type of product from another in that the genuine and concrete information about the products or services is conveyed to the consumers。 Third, information smoothly conveyed to consumers is only the first step, the curiosity is aroused and the aspiration of trying the products is motivated。 Advertisement language which attempts to persuade people to purchase products is high-engagement advertisement language。 The purpose of it is to call on people to act, consider, and feel, in order to react in the way designed by the advertisement。 Hence, the vocative function is also called the persuasive function or the demand function。