Revitalizing Cultural Characteristics in Advertising in Nigeria Within a Sketch of Systemic Paradigm

Abstract

This study investigated cultural pieces of advertising to indicate the ways that publicists deploy socio-cultural resources as normative channels of persuading readers to consumption. To achieve that goal, ten advertisements of financial, food, and telecommunications industries, harvested from The Punch newspaper, the Internet and erected advertising frameworks, functioned as data of analysis. After stratifying the advertisements into appropriate organizations, the terminology of ‘Below the clause’, functioned as the processing instrument. This allowed the application of graphic illustrations to account for the frequency of communicative components. The analysis revealed the employment of nominal groups (the lessons; this Eid) as playing dominant roles in the constructs, verbal groups (taste; celebrate) and prepositional phrases (from all of us at Fidelity Bank®; of commerce), also operated as stimulating structures. Although negligible, minor clause (Happy Workers’ Day; Eid Mubarak) are relevant grammatical elements of inducement. Besides anchorage and relaying functions interlocking the texts, one observed ambiguity (your work; Bae) in the Union Bank® and Wema Bank® advertisements. Connotations facilitated the communication of Mama don land and the big bottle of Coca-Cola®; the spirit of our nation and green-white-green dresses; your work and Maman Aisha; and the sacrifice of Christ with the crown of thorns. Contexts such as Yorùbá traditions, family  ffairs, religious nuances, savings, and historical notions are propagated cultural endowments that influenced the advertisements’ meaning potential. As a result, the analysts might suggest that advertisers ought to consistently decorate their campaigns with cultural fortunes. Such behavior has the capacity to educate and influence readers to consumption in their various regional domains.