Language characteristics of cosmetic advertising

Abstract:In cosmetic advertising, advertisers try their best to solve people's problems that puzzle them and to meet people's pursuit of beauty by carefully choosing those appropriate evaluative words, which will be analyzed in the present research.

Key words:cosmetic advertising language characteristics

1 Cosmetic advertising

Cosmetic is defined as preparation, substance, especially one that adds color designed to make the skin or hair beautiful such as face-cream lipstick. Cosmetic advertising is a communication of information between the advertiser and the potential consumers(especially women), which aims to make their cosmetic products known to all and urge the consumers to buy their products through certain media such as television, newspaper, direct mail, radio, magazines, the internet etc. Many people are influenced and affected by advertising to the point where they choose to buy cosmetics which are advertised publicly, and it is the most influential factor on popularity of products. Cosmetic advertising changes society's attitude to fashion, which now focuses on names and celebrities and labels rather than practicality or comfort.

2 Analyze of the samples

Sample 1

This silky eye cream dramatically reduces the look of eye lines and wrinkles-fast-as it restores radiance.

Skin stays perfectly hydrated.

The adverbs "dramatically", "perfectly" are rather vague here. There is no standard to measure what is dramatically, what is instantly and what is perfectly. The employing of these adverbs aims to prove the effectiveness of the products.

Sample 2

The new Sensual Eau de perfume

Very elegant, very fun, very you

This advertisement says nothing about the smell of the perfume it advertises. It describes how a user of this product can be perceived by her environment (as an elegant, funny person). This vivid and unusual description may puzzle the readers and arouse their interest.

Sample 3

This is your moment to be beautiful (Estee Lauder)

This is a line of one kind of perfume of Estee Lauder. "Moment" is definitely a noun concerning time. It means that any moment can be the moment. People will never be late. Whenever people use couple drops, they can enjoy the beautifulness. It gives good impression to consumers.

Sample 4

This fragrant shower milk is a real energy boost for the skin and the spirit!(Biotherm)

The noun "boost" is something that gives someone more confidence, or that helps something increase, improve, or become successful. To what extent can the shower milk improve the skin? The vagueness offers flexibility for explanation.

Sample 5

Hair care is war/fight (Paul Mitchell Luxury Hair care)

Advertisers exaggerate to promote here. For hair is under attack. The environment, heat styling, coloring and bleaching can all take their toll. Paul Mitchell helps people fight back.

Sample 6

Age-Proofing Your Skin-where you'll discover what your skin needs to look younger longer. Best of all, you'll receive a deluxe sample of Advanced Night Repair, our unique protective recovery complex. See better skin day after day, year after year with these two remarkable formulas.

Sample 7

从此,肌肤可以更白,更透,因为有SK-II净白修护面膜(SK-II)

The comparative degree of young, long, good white, clear and superlative degree of good are all vague expressions here. The language is brief and persuasive. It is very impressive. One of its vital features is the usage of adjectives and its comparative and superlative degree. Using the word beautiful is effective because everyone wants to be that way, especially women. And it is useful to use the comparative degree of young, long, good and superlative degree of good. For every woman, even girl tries her best keep long-lasting young and better than others. So it will call their buying desire out if any product can satisfy this need. Last but not least, the words of advanced and unique are wonderful choices. It represents elegance, nobility and uniqueness, which is again a big highlight of selling.

3 characteristics of Cosmetic advertising

Cosmetic advertising is the promotion of cosmetics and beauty products by the cosmetics industry through a variety of media. The advertising campaigns are usually aimed at women wishing to improve their appearance, commonly to increase physical attractiveness and reduce the signs of ageing. A survey of the China International Beauty Net shows that 55.1% of customers buy cosmetic products because of the attraction of the cosmetic advertisements. Language is the main carrier of advertising, "Advertising takes many forms, but in most of them language is of crucial importance." (The Language of Advertising 1985). Despite the media of advertisements are diverse, newspapers, magazines, broadcasts, television programs and billboards are all the main media of advertising, the thesis concentrates on TV commercial advertisements and magazines in the view of their popularity, including the slogans from TV commercials. Since it is the type of advertising directed towards a massive audience to promote the sale of a product or service.

The advertisers try hard to capture people's attention, arouse people's interest by convincing them of the effects of those cosmetic products, and eventually persuade them to buy the products. The main function of cosmetic advertising is persuasive, in the sense that its writer aims to elicit a specific response from its reader(s) (Swales 1990). In cosmetic advertising, advertisers try their best to solve people's problems that puzzle them and to meet people's pursuit of beauty by carefully choosing those appropriate evaluative words, which will be analyzed from prototypical perspectives in the present research.

References:

[1]Bolen, W.H. Advertising[M]. London: John Wiley&Sons.Inc,1981.

[2]Cook, G. The Discourse of Advertising[M]. London: Tj Press Ltd,1996.

[3]Leech, G.N. English in Advertising[M]. London: Longman,1966.