A Pragma-Dialectical Study of Advertising Discourse: Take Melatonin Advertisements as Case Study

Abstract

广告的最终目的是劝服目标受众接受或购 买其产品。因此，劝说性是广告话语的重要特 征。事实上，广告的劝说性本质上即为论辩性。 鉴于此，本文借助语用论辩学的研究框架，以 批判性讨论理想模型为基础，提出一种全新的 广告话语语用论辩分析方法。该方法包括两大 部分：广告话语的论辩话语重构和策略操控分 析。通过对脑白金广告话语语用论辩分析，发 现论辩性是广告话语的重要属性，而策略操控 实际上反映了广告者在论辩合理性和修辞有效 性之间的平衡和取舍。研究表明，语用论辩研 究方法丰富了对广告话语劝说性和论辩性的理 解，同时为广告者有效运用话语策略提供了理 论指导。因此，语用论辩学为系统分析广告话 语提供了一个新的研究视角。 The fundamental objective of advertising discourse is to persuade target audiences to accept and purchase the advertised product, thus in essence, persuasiveness is crucial characteristic of advertising discourse. Actually, successful persuasion usually involves argumentativeness. Drawing on the research framework of Pragma-Dialectics, this paper attempts to explore a pragma-dialectical approach to advertisement discourse on the basis of the ideal model of critical discussion. This approach involves two interrelated parts: argumentative reconstruction and strategic maneuvering analysis. Taking the case of Melatonin advertisements, the pragma-dialectical approach can show the argumentativeness of advertisement discourse to a great extent and meanwhile reveals advertisers’ manipulation of dialectical reasonableness and rhetorical effectiveness. Therefore, the pragma-dialectical approach can not only give a deep insight into persuasiveness and argumentativeness of advertising discourse, but also provides a theoretical guidance for advertisers to skilfully employ dialectical strategies in advertising discourse. Consequently, such approach can offer a new perspective for comprehensive and systematic study of advertisement discourse