A pragma-semiotic analysis of always sanitary pads advertisements in Kenya

Abstract

Pragma-semiotic analysis combines pragmatism and semiotics. Pragmatism, in this study, looks at politeness strategies employed in Always Sanitary pads advertisements as well as meanings of the various semiotic resources used in these multimodal images. In order to investigate the complex interactions between pragmatic functions and semiotic resources in the meaning-construction process within multimodal texts, this study conducts a pragma-semiotic analysis of Always Sanitary Pads advertisements in Kenya. Through an analysis of linguistic and non-linguistic components, the study sought to clarify the ways in which signs are utilized to accomplish communicative intentions in various settings. Studies on pragma-semiotics have been conducted on advertisements of Nike-air shoes, beauty products in printed magazines, in telecommunication and in banking industry. However, particular attention has not been given to combine multimodality with pragmatic acts for the analysis of advertisements in Kenya. The present research filled up this gap by exploring the ways in which Always Sanitary Pads advertisers utilize different semiotic resources such as visuals and language choice to create persuasive messages that resonate with their customers guided by two theoretical frameworks which comprises Multimodal Theory by Gunther Kress and Theo van Leeuwen, alongside the Theory of Politeness by Penelope Brown and Stephen Levinson. The research design utilized non-probability sampling. A guiding card served as the instrument to sort out the adverts for sampling as well as for data analysis. This research found out that Always Sanitary Pads advertisements use politeness strategies to lessen threats to face, and that these advertisements contain multimodal components composed of semiotic resources that are interacted creatively hence contributing in the shaping of the perceptions of feminine hygiene products