As a rhetorical device, puns are ubiquitous in advertisements, including phonetics, vocabulary and syntax. In advertising, in order to increase the attractiveness of advertising, advertisers strive for new ideas, which makes the application skills of puns in advertising more complicated. Clever puns can make the language subtle, humorous and vivid, giving people room for aftertaste and imagination. The more common ones are as follows:
Homophonic puns are composed of words with similar spelling and pronunciation. Advertisers are very happy to use homophonic puns, because such puns have humorous, playful and funny language style, which can enhance the persuasiveness and appeal of advertisements and leave a deep impression on consumers.
(1) Easy to buy
Winter!
100% cotton knitwear $40
This is a promotional advertisement for winter clothes. Literally means a good deal with good quality and low price. However, when readers read Goodbuy and winter together, they realize that advertisements are full of mystery and puns. It seems to show people that the cold winter is coming and the bright spring is coming (goodbye winter! )。 Our company is carrying out seasonal sales promotion to remind people that this is the best time to buy good quality and cheap goods. Don't miss it. The author uses the homophonic features of Goodbuy and Goodbuy to make the same pronunciation imply two meanings: first, it means good quality and low price; The second is to say goodbye. Kill two birds with one stone, which is far-reaching and intriguing.
(2) Trust us. More than 5000 ears of experience.
Trust us. It has been tested by more than 5,000 ears and has more than 5,000 years of experience.
This is an advertisement for hearing AIDS. Literally, it shows that the product has been tested by many consumers, but a pair of homophonic words ear-years are cleverly embedded between the lines, which fully implies the long history and tried-and-tested excellent quality of the product.
Many advertisements make a fuss about brand names. Puns in brand names can not only increase the interest and humor of advertisements, but more importantly, make brand names attract people's attention, make them easy to remember and increase publicity offensive, thus achieving the purpose of promoting products. Puns in brand names are mostly homophonic.
(3)WEAR-EVER introduced a new concept: cleanability.
"Eternal" glass stove brings you a brand-new concept: cleanliness.
Here, manufacturers use the ambiguity of their trademark WEAR-EVER to promote their products: on the one hand, WEAR-EVER is their brand name, on the other hand, the word has another meaning: it is both wear forever (reflecting the durability of products) and where (indicating that it is popular everywhere). Advertising promotes its products from many angles, which can arouse customers' desire to buy and has a certain persuasion effect.
2. Semantic pun
Semantic pun is a pun formed in a specific environment by using the ambiguity of words or sentences. This kind of pun is also widely used in advertisements, which is similar to homophonic pun.
(4) Money doesn't grow on trees. But it blooms on our branches.
This is an outdoor advertisement made by Lioyd Bank (Lloyds Bank, UK). The literal meaning of the advertisement is: money can't grow on trees, but it will blossom and bear fruit on our branches. The word branch in this advertisement has two meanings. The first meaning is literal meaning, that is, branch; The deeper meaning refers to the branches of banks. The implication of the advertisement is that if you deposit your money in Lloyds Bank, your money will continue to increase in value. Like a bud on a branch, it blooms, blooms and bears fruit year after year and never dries up.
(5) spoil yourself and don't spoil your figure.
Eat to your heart's content and don't gain weight.
This is the advertising title of slimming ice cream specially produced for dieters. Puns exist not only in the names of commodity trademarks, but also in the titles. Spoiling yourself is "enjoying yourself"; To spoil one's figure is to "ruin one's figure". This advertisement makes dieters naturally accept the advertisement in a relaxed and humorous tone, which makes them want to buy.
The deal with us is a good deal for you.
Doing business with us means that you have made a good deal.
The beauty of this sentence lies in the good use of the three meanings of deal in the sentence, namely, "doing business", "doing business well" and "a lot". A good deal makes a wonderful pun.