Discourse analysis of some nivea advertisements

ight. 
The last rhetorical device found in the Nivea 
advertisements is simile. Simile is an 
expression which compares one thing with 
another using the words `as' or `like'. This 
simile makes the advertisement livelier and 
more interesting [8]. This technique is used in 
the advertisement of Deep Anti-Perspirant 
Deodorant Spray: Nivea Men Deep Anti-
perspirant protects the skin from sweat and 
bacteria for a long-lasting dryness and a 
clean skin feel just like after the shower. The 
advertiser compares the feeling of the 
customers after using the product with the 
feeling after shower. This attractive 
comparison can make viewers feel interested 
and want to try the product. 
Nguyen Trong Du et al TNU Journal of Science and Technology 199(06): 65 - 72 
 Email: jst@tnu.edu.vn 71
3.2. Discourse strategies used in Nivea 
advertisements 
According to Fairclough [20], for the mass 
media discourse such as advertising in which 
the participants are separated in time and place, 
there is one-sidedness of this type of discourse 
where producers exercise power over 
consumers. Sutton [21, p. 68] suggests that 
advertisement, to some extent, will reflect 
some personal beliefs and values of the 
advertiser while it is designed to influence the 
viewers. The advertiser often uses several 
strategies in the advertisements to attract 
customers as well as deliver the idea of beauty. 
The first strategy is positive self- 
representation and compliment. The 
advertiser charms the readers by mentioning 
positive and negative phrases and using 
catchy headlines like those listed in the above 
part that create positive self-representation 
and images and make the advertisements 
more attractive. By drawing positive images 
in the readers’ mind, the advertiser stimulates 
the readers’ desire and persuades them to buy 
the product [8]. 
The second strategy is providing scientific 
evidence or clinical test proof. According to 
Lane et al [22], it is essential for beauty 
product advertisements to provide scientific 
proof. By mentioning scientific proof, the 
advertiser can remove the consumers’ doubt. 
This strategy is frequently used by Nivea 
advertisers via linguistic devices: the 
repetition of the statement dermatologically 
approved; the use of scientific terms in all 
selected advertisements; the use of exact 
percentage of natural origin, SPF or time of 
effect duration. Therefore, they can give 
impression to the readers that the product is 
advanced, safe and trustful. Thus, they 
convince consumers to believe in their 
promise of beautiful skin through the latest 
technological advances [7], [8], [20]. 
Another strategy is puffery which is defined 
as the process of making broad exaggerated 
or boastful statements about a product or 
service [23]. It is when the advertiser 
mentions somehow hyperbolic statements to 
grab attention of the readers or to make the 
product more attractive [8]. Puffery appears 
in all of the data. For example, Nivea 
advertise a night cream which can be able to 
make skin look “healthy, radiant and smooth” 
after one night and can keep skin moisture for 
48 hours. It is considered a puffery because 
there is no way a cream can make people 
beautiful in such a short time and can keep 
skin humidity in such a long period. Other 
statements like “after just 1 application”, 
“precious”, “Instantly transform your dry skin 
into noticeably smoother and softer skin”, 
“Immediately protects against sun 
exposure” are also devices of puffery 
strategy in the advertisements. Those 
unrealistic representations and claims attract 
the readers to buy the product. 
The advertisers also use the strategy of adding 
appeal to healthy beauty. This strategy goes 
deeper into customers’ psychological aspect 
[8]. The advertisers try to attract the readers’ 
attention through personal statements about the 
attempt to make customers believe in the 
desire to be beautiful and healthy-looking. 
Therefore, such words as “energising”, 
“natural” and “healthy” are repeated several 
times in almost all of the research data. 
Besides, natural ingredients are also included 
in the advertisements to increase the effect of 
the strategy. 
The last strategy used in Nivea advertisements 
is setting close relationship with customers by 
using second personal and possessive 
pronouns and headlines in forms of questions 
and imperatives. The advertisers make the 
customers feel like they are given sincere 
recommendations from friends. Therefore, the 
effect of persuasion is improved. 
4. Conclusion 
In short, the researcher applied Fairclough’s 
three-dimensional model of critical discourse 
analysis to analyze 18 Nivea advertisements 
which were hung on the Nivea main brand 
website [9]. After conducting analysis and 
discussion, the researcher has found the 
answers to the research questions. The first 
research issue is about linguistic features used 
Nguyen Trong Du et al TNU Journal of Science and Technology 199(06): 65 - 72 
 Email: jst@tnu.edu.vn 72
in Nivea advertisements. The linguistic 
features can be classified into lexical devices, 
syntactic features and rhetorical devices. The 
lexical devices found in the data are positive 
and negative adjectives, scientific terms, and 
foreign or exotic words, the use of the second 
personal and possessive pronouns. In 
addition, the syntactic features of headlines 
and body copies of the data are also analyzed. 
Headlines are typically written in short simple 
sentences and phrases while body copies tend 
to be formulated in long complex sentences to 
provide more information. There are also the 
use of comparison, imperative sentences, 
passive voice, present and future tense. 
Furthermore, the use of such rhetorical 
devices as repetition and simile contribute to 
create impression on viewers and attract them 
to buy the products. 
As for the second research issue related to 
the discourse strategies used in Nivea 
advertisements to convince customers and 
construct the idea of beauty, the researcher 
found discourse strategies namely creating 
negative and positive self-representation, 
providing scientific proof, puffery, adding 
appeal to healthy beauty and setting close 
relationship with customers. 
Due to the restricted length set by the 
Journal, the last issue about social 
implications of Nivea advertisements is not 
discussed in this paper, instead it will be 
presented in another one. 
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