AN ANALYSIS OF THE LINGUISTIC FEATURES OF BILLBOARD ADVERTISING IN NIGERIA

Abstract

This study seeks to analyze how advertising copywriters skillfully manipulate language to suit their purpose of communicating advertising messages. Billboard advertising is targeted at road users, and so contains very few familiar words. In this stylistic study, the research contends that language of advertising is not corrupt usage of language, but a deliberate attempt to deploy specialized expressions for the purposes of disseminating messages within the limited time and space available. Samples of advertisements were collected by purposive sampling technique from billboards found in the major cities in the South Eastern part of Nigeria. Analysis of data shows that advertising makes use of peculiar linguistic choices which are aimed at getting or retaining patronage of audience on advertised goods or services. It is recommended that language of advertising should not be seen as a model for learning any language. It is a field of study with special demands on language systems and should be regarded as such.