A Relevance-theoretical Approach To Irony In Advertisements

Based on Dan Sperber and Deirdre Wilson's Relevance Theory (RT), the present study analyzes irony in advertisements which intends to answer mainly two questions: 1) how do advertisees interpret ironical advertisements? 2) Why do the advertisers favor irony in advertisements though irony sometimes brings ambiguity and difficulty in understanding?Although the advertisers intentionally violate the cognitive environment, bring out disagreement between the literal and intended meanings, the audience, when interpreting irony in advertisements, could transcend the literal meaning and make out the deep or intended meaning, which is the very expectation of the advertisers. And at the same time the advertisements will leave lasting impressions in the advertisees'mind. However, not all the ironic advertisements can achieve the expected results as they are intended to.The reason why the advertiser prefers irony, it has been assumed, is that irony can bring out certain pragmatic functions to help achieve communicative effects: 1) attracting the audience's attention; 2) making advertisements brief; 3) making advertisements humorous.Based on the analysis of ironies in advertisements through RT, the present thesis draws the following conclusions: First, irony is favored by many advertisers when they compose advertisements. Second, advertising communication is ostensive-inferential in nature. Third, the choice of irony is in the search for relevance.The analysis of ironies in advertisement through Relevance theory not only aids the audience's understanding of advertising ironies but also enables advertisers to make better applications of irony in advertisements and achieve more successful results of advertisement.