Author’s name:
Anna S. Demidova – N. A. Dobrolyubov Linguistics University of Nizhny Novgorod, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia
Abstract:
This paper explores the hypothesis that folklore and advertising are more connected than they might seem at first glance. Effective advertising begins with common truths which cannot be disagreed with, and folklore as the basic universal form of national culture, that accumulates and preserves all kinds of spiritual attitudes of the nation, is an example of just such a truth, commonly accepted and obvious. Regardless of their social and cultural status, folklore is present in the subconscious of every person and, as an integral part of any other cultural form, may have significant influence on people. In this article, by examining a series of commercials about the folk hero Momotaro and his journey to the island of Onigashima, we attempt to demonstrate how Japanese advertisers seek not only to promote products but also to bring traditions and modernity closer together and to show that old traditions harmoniously fit into the realities of today. Japanese advertisers turn to folklore archetypes in search of nationally relevant mental concepts, seeking to activate in recipients the processes of self-awareness and self-identification. The use of folklore images in addition to text allows advertisers to convey more meanings in the very limited time frame of a TV commercial. Thanks to folklore images, recipients in-stantly reads the cultural code and feels strong inner investment in what is happening and, consequently, in the product advertised. In combination with precedent texts (proverbs and sayings), folklore images become a productive starting point for creating new interpretations of specific layers of cultural experience.
| Section | LANGUAGE AND CULTURE |
| DOI: | 10.47388/2072-3490/lunn2023-62-2-28-40 |
| Downloads | 246 |
| Key words | TV commercials; folkloric elements; cultural code; cultural identity; Japanese language |