Applied Sciences and Business Economics

Volume 1, Issue 1, 22-27, 2014

A Discourse Analysis of an Advertisementof Samsung

New Galaxy S4 phone in the Daily Dawn, Pakistan
Humera Tabassum1, Zahoor Hussain2*, Abaid ur Rehman3 & Raabia Yaseen4
1
M.Phil in Linguistics, NCBA&E Multan Campus
2
Lecturer in English, BZU Bahadur Campus, Layyah
3
Lecturer in Psychology, BZU Bahadur Campus, Layyah
4
Department of English, BZU Bahadur Campus, Layyah
*
Email: Zahoor_linguist@yahoo.com

Abstract
Discourse analysis is currently latest method of research in vogue in many disciplines of social sciences. In this
study, the researchers have used Discourse Analysis to know the target glorification in the advertisements of
different commodities of life. The researchers have applied the Fairclough‟s Critical Discourse Approach CDA to
find out in mobile phone technology‟s famous discourses how young generation is represented, and how this
representation implied of position of young generation. The discourse analysis used in advertisement of Samsung
New Galaxy S4 phone in the Daily Dawn, Pakistan reveal that the youth are tried to be convinced through the style
as well as the language to buy the mobile phones of the company above stated.

Keywords: Critical Discourse Approach, Discourse Analysis, Advertisement, Language

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1. Introduction
Discourse analysis has recently achieved a momentum in the field of language and literature both as a way to look at
the things with new angles and also as a research tool. Discourse generally sees the meaning between the lines, the
nature of discursiveness in the data, and how meanings are shared, received and interpreted (Cook, 1995). Discourse
as a discipline is studied in Sociology, Psychology, and Anthropology, however, in Linguistics, the aspects of
language are investigated, and explored which unite and bind the text for a particular effect.According to the
Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language,
“Discourse analysis basically emphasize on the structure of the language that we usually used in our social practices
i.e. spoke. As for example documentaries speeches conversations and interviews which are occurring in its natural
form.” (p.116)
Further, James Paul Gee (2011) says, “Discourse analysis is the study of language in use. Better put, it is the study of
language at use in the world.”(p-1)
In media both print and electronic one, advertisements usually have impact on the upcoming generation as in a study
conducted by Littel (2001), it has been found that average teenagers and youth spend approximately six (06) hours a
day before both types of above stated media. People in media especially youth are positioned by the discourse used
in the language of advertisement as Sperber and Wilson (1986) describes the process of communication in the
following passage:
“… a communication process involved the different devices for information processing. One device alternates the
physical appearance of the other. Consequently the second device modifies the applications similar to the
applications that previously engaged in the first device. ” ( p.1)
This paper was aimed to find out as to how the youth are portrayed and also to known the underlying meaning in
them. The researchers have chosen an advertisement from the daily Dawn Monday 6 thMay, 2013 to interpret
different striking features of published advertisement (media). The study was aimed to focus on huge advertisement
of Samsung Company showing new Galaxy S4 phone for sale along with special package with Uphon. Visual
presentations may also play an important part in a persuasive text, as we can see from the use of pictures
advertisement. While appearance may not seem so significant in a written text, companies often employ designers to
consider the visual impact of a text. We now examining the visual presentation as well as the style used to express
the moves.
2. Review of Literature
Although the concepts of „media culture‟ and „consumer culture‟ have been commonly used as labels for
contemporary society, they have rarely been explicitly compared. Transitory processes such as culturalization,
mediatization and simulation - which may all be compiled within the notion of reflexive accumulation - make it
almost pointless to keep the concepts apart. Rather, in contemporary western societies it is possible to discern the
rise of image culture. This is a socio-cultural state in which media images and media-influenced commodity-signs
are to an increasing extent used as sources for, and expressions of, cultural identity. Hence, it is also argued that
image culture must not be confused with the postmodernist hypothesis of cultural implosion (Jansson, 2002).
Baudrillard (1988) vindicates that amazing changes in the technology of products emphasize on its reality and
showcasing too.
Van Dijk (2000, 2001) adds that “empower words are taken as truth based, relevant and appropriate while the words
which are not include in standard language are bogus, silly, irrelevant, without meaning or dismissed”. Students
need to realize that governments, social groups, companies, schools, magazines, and even cartoons in the newspaper
have overt or hidden ideas they wish to express. Many of these sources of text have a keen interest in power
maintenance and CDA can help highlight this for students.
Fairclough (1992a) designs Three Simultaneously Dimensional Model for discourse analysis. This is a cyclic model
in manner. The first dimension of his model is discourse as a text. Here text could be both in spoken or written form.
The second dimension of his model is discursive practice. Discursive practice further divided into three following
dimensions:
1) Producer of the text
2) Distributer/circulator of the text
3) Consumer of the text
The third dimension of his model revolves around discourse as a social practice.

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Dependence upon visual image is itself of course an advertising feature which has been widely influential. And the
presence of headline and a final signature line gives the extract something of the generic structure of standard
commodity advertisement.
Media as a discourse has a volatile nature as it remains changing and constructs the social realities and then it also
inverts its resources in order to gain a form of enclosement from the audience and the readers. In fact, there viewers
deduce meaning in routine out of the media construction. (Gamsonet al. 1992).
The study conducted by Gamsonet al. (1992) that modern discourses employed both in governmental and non-
governmental organizations has rather increased anxiety among the masses. The objective behind them was to
support natural culture through social links and social networking with the help of new discourse (Yoon 2006).
According to Teather (2001), the usage of mobile phones regarding their popularity is a necessary evil in general and
for short message serves (SMS) in specific purposes. Carvin (2000) is of the view that for global communication
systems, mobile phone technologies are essential to construct the new media culture. Katz & Aakhus (2002) claims
that for academic perspective the worldwide use of mobile phone technologies approximately reaches to the figures
of billion.
From the perspective of expression, users of mobile phones show off their dresses, jewelry and cosmetics. Thus
mobile phone becomes a tool of show-casing about its user. In an edited volume, Machines that Become Us: the
social context of Personal Communication (Katz, 2003), he explains that compliments and good comments increases
one‟s physical stature. According to Simmel (1904) fashion enhances the implementation and encourages the
individual‟s choice. One can fashion him/herself for the exposure of social desires (Steel, 1997). Fashionalable
choices in different accessories make an individual different to his/her family, develop a unique and fascinating
sense of being and maintain the connections with effectiveness (Fortunati. 1993; Lobet-Maris, 2003). Fashion, now
a day, is a symbol of high standard, elite class and power. The “sense of being” we can say a bridge between the
communication system, technologies and aesthetics, which is the essential part of culture, tradition and its practices
and processing.
3. Methodology
The researchers in the current study have applied Fairclough‟s (1992) Critical Discourse Approach for the analysis
of the advertisement. The researchers did the analysis of the advertisement on both the textual and social levels.
Critical discourse analysis (CDA) gives us a vast dimension on the methodology level. Kress (1997) and Kress
&van Leeuwen (1996), their work is about the importance of semiotics in the concepts of discourse on broader level.
According to the general concepts about discourse analysis is that its all attributes are towards the social practices
including the problems of power, ideology, manipulation of language and inequality with special reference to the
textual structures of linguistics (van Dijk, 1995).
4. Analysis
4.1. Style and Format
The advertisement is shown with coloured picture of mobile Samsung GALAXY S4 with background of large Green
grass landscape and Blue sky. In the middle of the picture the name of product “GALAXY S4” is written in capital
letter. Slogan, Life companion is written in bold letters. The informal language used in the text.
4.2. Textual Analysis
 Broad Vision
 Logo at the top right side
 The picture of children with mobile shows that it is easy to handle and light weight
 The angle of the mobile is showing slim and smart phone which is easy to carry everywhere and package
with Uphone showed that you can connect with world from anywhere.
 Product name highlighted in capital letters shows its importance.
 As the wide background of the picture showed the DeoSaiPlateu, which is the highest plateau of the world,
touching the sky heights. This shows that the company and the product are on height of the world.
 Slogan of the product (Life companion) is given so attractive that without this phone your life is incomplete
 Green color grass, blue sky and different colours of balloon in picture showed allcolours of life.
 Coloured picture on phone screen are same like in nature showed high quality camera in phone.
 The price showed that this product is for high class folks not for common people.

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 Samsung product showed collaboration with Uphon customers, Uphon offered special package for one
month as attraction having Galaxy S4.
 Contact Address for query is given as web address, facebook address and toll free number.
 One year warranty with official parter i.e. Teletec and M&P is given.
4.3. Social Analysis
Textual analysis is based on social issue. Uses of mobile phones are very common in our society and Pakistan is the
second largest nation after Japan using mobile phone. The rapid growth of mobile phones in Pakistan has made it an
important country in the world as nearly 70% of population has mobile phones. Now the trend is being changed
towards the costly mobile phones. People in Pakistan especially the youth try to haveiPhone in hand that is in fact a
status symbol in society. This advertisement in this regard is considered vital as it is evident from the analysis that
the elders are persuaded through younger children to buy them costly and latest mobile phones in vogue. The child
in the picture depicts that this mobile ismeant for children, so they will demand for this mobile which is not possible
for everyone to buy their children such costly mobile phones.
4.4. Vocabulary
The Words Repetition: Samsung (8times) and Uphon (7times)
Font Size: Galaxy S4 is mentioned in capitalization,
Sentence “Life companion” is mentioned in the form of slogan.
Cohesive devices
A. Grammatical

Cohesion
Reference

Line Reference item Linguistic Reference Anaphoric/ Personal/Demonstrative/

No. Cataphoric Comparative
1 Uphon Anaphoric
2 Special offer 6000 Uphon to Uphon minutes, 9000 Anaphoric
SMS and 1.5 GB mobile internet
3 This 6000 Uphon to Uphon minutes, 9000 Anaphoric Demonstrative
SMS and 1.5 GB mobile internet

Conjunction

Additive conjunction “AND” was used

B. Lexical Cohesion
 Repetition

There is the seven time repetition of words Samsung and Uphon in the text.

Keywords Repeats Density

Samsung 8 times %
Uphon 7 times %

C. Theme and Rheme

Common theme pattern

Line No. Theme Rheme

1 Fair usage policy T1 R1
2 Special offer T2 Is valid for one month R2
3 To activate this package, Are requested to visit their nearest customer service
Uphon customers T3 center along with their Samsung Galaxy S4 from
Uphon R3
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D. Verb Form ( Tense and Aspect)

Tense: Present

Aspect: Indefinite Progressive

Transitivity Analysis

Participant Process Participant Circumstance

Samsung (Actor) Galaxy S4 (Beneficiary)
Life companion
(Phenomenon)
Uphon (Actor) Customer (Recipient) Free Minutes, SMS and
mobile internet
6000 Uphon to Uphon
Fair Usage Policy minutes, 9000 SMS and
1.5 GB mobile internet
Special offer (verbiage) Valid for one month
To activate package Uphon customers Customer service center
(Material) (Recipient)
Their Samsumg(Actor) Galaxy S4 (Beneficiary) Uphon

5. Conclusion
The linguistic, textual, semiotic and the social analyses of the text and structure of the advertisement reveal not only
the persuasive nature of the advertisement but also show that the advertisement is rhetorical. And class values of the
society are wrapped in it.The selection of vision, place of logo, structure of mobile with varied pictures of Deosai
plateau strengthen the slogan given in bold letters. Mobile has been made a vital part of life as it is something
inseparable fromlife. Further, the use of lexical items Samsung and Uphon in an attractive style and many times fix
the audience mind with the importance and essence of that gadget and company. The use of nominal and verbal
groups as mentioned in the analysis point toward the importance, delicacy of the gadget. The textual and semiotic
analyses also demonstrate that it is easy to operate with required social status.

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