Archetype of “Self/Other” in Modern European Social Advertising

Abstract

Topicality: Advertising industry and media discourses’ development led to the fact that advertising is used not only for products and services promotion but also for regulation of social and spiritual processes. It forms individual and group concepts about the appropriate behavior. Actuality of the research is connected with the necessity to analyze linguistic means of social advertising used for verbalization of basic cultural concepts aiming at motivation of the general public to certain actions and formation of public opinion corresponding to cultural mindsets. The article discusses special aspects of verbalization of archetypal opposition “self/other” in printed social advertising studied by the cases in German and French languages. Purpose of the article – to consider cultural factor in the language of advertising and ways of linguistic objectivization of concepts and stereotypical perceptions significant for each culture. The paper presents an attempt to trace strategies and tactics that make it possible to have a necessary informational or emotional impact on the addressee. The main methods of research are semantic and contextual analysis, linguocultural interpretation of the units under analysis. As a result of the research the conclusion is made about the dynamic nature of the border between the concepts “self” and “other”, determined by the influence of the context on the lexemes verbalizing the mentioned concepts, as well as the special features of the linguistic experience of the individual. Discussion. Application of the above-mentioned methods enables the distinguishing of a set of linguistic means for verbalization of a cultural concept. For the first time evaluative enuntiosemic character of concepts “self/other” in social advertising is described. Conclusion. The results may be used for analysis of other archetypes in various discourses.