Advertising Cleanliness: A Cross-Cultural Linguistic Analysis of Persuasive Strategies in Detergent Advertisement

Advertisements play a crucial role in enhancing sales and marketing for a wide range of products and ideas. Defined as commercial messages designed to promote and sell goods, advertisers often craft meticulous and strategic language in their advertisements to convert viewers into consumers. This study undertakes a contrastive linguistic analysis of persuasive appeals in TV advertisements from Algeria, France, and Saudi Arabia, focusing specifically on detergent products. The research is grounded in Aristotle's rhetorical framework and Grice's cooperative principles to analyze and compare the language used across these three countries. A purposive sample of fifteen detergent TV commercials (five per country) was selected for analysis. The findings reveal that while all three countries employ a variety of persuasive strategies, there are significant linguistic differences that contribute to both shared and distinct advertising practices. Results indicate that Algerian detergent TV advertisements rely mainly on pathos. French commercials focus on both pathos and logos. Saudi Arabia uses a combination of all three appeals (logos, pathos, and ethos). This study provides insights for advertisers regarding the importance of adhering to strategic appeals. This work explains how following these communicative principles can encourage advertisement designers to enhance the persuasive power of their messages. Hence, advertisers ensure greater effectiveness of their promotional efforts by optimizing the linguistic and pragmatic elements of their advertisements. Highlights This study undertakes a contrastive linguistic analysis of persuasive appeals in TV advertisements from Algeria, France, and Saudi Arabia, focusing specifically on detergent products. The research is grounded in Aristotle's rhetorical framework and Grice's cooperative principles. There are significant linguistic differences that contribute to both shared and distinct advertising practices.