The The Relationship Between Language and Ideology in the Advertising Discourse of Pet dog Products

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate how advertising discourse used in dog products played a role in the construction of ideology about dogs based upon Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). The data used in the analysis were eight dog product advertisements available on two websites which were www.dogilike.com and www.pedigree.com. The study included four stages, i.e., 1) reviewing the related literature, 2) collecting data, 3) analyzing the use of language in the advertising discourse, and 4) investigating the construction of ideology.

 The results showed that both verbal and nonverbal communication techniques were employed to produce the advertisements as well as construct the ideology about dogs. The verbal communication techniques included the use of word choice, metaphor, allusion, modality, rhetorical questions, storytelling, and presupposition, and the nonverbal communication techniques included the use of visual images and font sizes. In addition, it was found that, in terms of the construction of ideology, dogs were portrayed as members in the family who needed love and care from the owners. They should be healthy and have perfect hair and skin. Nevertheless, such language use and ideology construction were clearly aimed at making profits for the business.