'Northern residents: Cellcom is with you': the rhetoric of Israeli advertising during the Second Lebanon War

Abstract

This article analyses the advertising rhetoric used in Israeli daily newspapers during the Second Lebanon War, when advertisements made use of war-related content and symbolism to sell their products. The author reveals how advertisers exploited the war situation to promote sales and, in doing so, demonstrates the values of Israeli society during this unique period in Israeli history. The findings show a wide usage of patriotic expression for marketing products and services. It seems that advertisers preferred to focus most of their attention on the civilian home front, ignoring to a great extent the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and its soldiers (unlike accepted practice during periods of military calm). They also omitted mention of the state and its leaders. Additionally, contrary to former practice, advertisers did not make use of foreign (non-Hebrew) words, thus emphasizing Israeli identity.