Comparative Study of Linguistic Aspects Expressed in Cosmetic TV Commercials: With a Special Focus from 1960 to 1989 and from 2013 to 2015
Park Eun-ha. 2016. “Comparative Study of Linguistic Aspects Expressed in Cosmetic TV Commercials: With a Special Focus from 1960 to 1989 and from 2013 to 2015”. The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea 24(1). 149~174. This study examines and compares characteristics of sentences, vocabularies, textual structures, and types of persuasion in cosmetics TV commercials that have aired before the 1980s (1960~1989) and in the last three years (2013~2015). The study consists of four parts, and the findings are as follows:
First, in order of frequency of occurrences, “declarative sentences” ranks the first, followed by “imperative sentences” before the 1980s and “interrogative sentences” in the last three years. Word final endings reveal that nouns have been the most frequent in both periods, followed by haera style before the 1980s and haeyo style in the last three years. Second, this study examines the main topic and characteristics of vocabulary in cosmetics TV commercials. The results show that “skin” is the most frequent main topic in both periods. Remarkable topics in use indicate: “color” and “scent” before the 1980s, “moisture” and “anti-aging” in the last three years. In the use of foreign languages, alphabets have been in use for the written caption in the last 3 years, while Hangeul (Korean alphabet) were used for the written caption before the 1980s. Third, with regard to the textual structure, it is noted that the structural factors of the advertising texts were observed similarly. In the two periods under study, caption and female narrators texts have been the most frequently or mainly. Compared from 1960 to 1989 with from 2013 to 2015, male characters have appeared somewhat in the last three years while there have been no male characters before the 1980s. Finally, for the type of persuasion, “straightforward type” ranks the highest, followed by “economical type”, and “CM song type” before the 1980s, and “mixed type” among various types in the last three years.