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Article published In: Concentric
Vol. 45:1 (2019) ► pp.112–140

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Identity construction in advertising

A case study of Portuguese bank pamphlets

 | Universidade Nova de Lisboa
Published online: 31 May 2019
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https://doi.org/10.1075/consl.00005.pru
Abstract
This paper presents a qualitative and descriptive study of textual genre, based on the epistemological concept of Socio-Discursive Interactionism. As a study concerning language and identity, it focuses on identity construction of the bank, its customers, and products in seven Portuguese bank pamphlets. Being aware of the pamphlets’ multimodal nature, the author employs the analytical model to examine both their verbal and non-verbal components. The model incorporates four theoretical approaches: the notion of personal deictic markers proposed by Socio-Discursive Interactionism, Greimas’ actantial model, symbolic attribute and suggestive processes, as well as the ideational and interpersonal functions proposed by the Grammar of Visual Design. The analysis presents three-fold conclusion. Firstly, the three major stakeholders’ identity in the pamphlets under analysis is multimodally constructed. Secondly, construction of the said identity is both denotative and connotative. Thirdly, besides relating advertising ideology in general, such identity construction also incorporates social meaning of the three major textual participants in the data already analyzed.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Theoretical frameworks for data analysis
    • 2.1Personal deictic markers in SDI’s types of discourse
    • 2.2Greimas’s actantial model for advertisement
    • 2.3Symbolic attribute and suggestive qualities of pictures
    • 2.4The communicative functions of color: Ideational and interpersonal
  • 3.Data and methodological framework
  • 4.Data analysis
    • 4.1Personal deictic markers from SDI’s types of discourse and identity construction in the Portuguese bank pamphlets
    • 4.2Actantial model in advertisement and identity construction in the Portuguese bank pamphlets
    • 4.3Symbolic processes in pictures and identity construction in the Portuguese bank pamphlets
    • 4.4Ideational and interpersonal functions of colors and identity construction in Portuguese bank pamphlets
  • 5.Discussion of results
  • 6.Final remarks
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
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