Code-Mixing and Imaging of America in France: The Genre of Advertising

Despite language legislation in France specifically designed to protect the French language from the influence of English, French advertising continues to exploit anglicisms for their socio-psychological effect on consumers. This descriptive study explores some 2400 television commercials and 1800 magazine advertisements collected in France. Interviews with copywriters in top Paris advertising agencies supplement the data. The primary objectives of the dissertation are (i) to determine the degree to which anglicisms and American imagery appear in French advertising; (ii) to categorize these elements in terms of advertising medium, product domains, and positioning in the advertisement; (iii) to quantitatively and qualitatively describe the lexicogrammatical and visual features of code-mixed advertisements; and (iv) to document current attitudes among advertising specialists in France regarding the effectiveness of using English in advertising, strategies for doing so, and French laws that penalize those who do.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

French

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2015

Author dc:creator

• Martin, Elizabeth Ann

Contributors dc:contributor

• Kachru, Braj B.

• Business Administration, Marketing

Language dc:language

eng

Identifier

(MiAaPQ)AAI9912314

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/86294