A Relevance-based Approach To Pun Application In Chinese And English Advertisements

The study examines the phenomenon of frequent pun application in advertising within the framework of Sperber and Wilson's Relevance Theory. A main standing point of the study is that pun's frequent application largely relates to pun's special cognitive feature.After the introduction and literature review part, Chapter Three introduces key concepts of Relevance Theory which serves as a theoretical foundation of the study.Based on Chapter Three, Chapter Four approaches pun application in the framework of Relevance theory, with emphasis on the process of optimal relevance arriving. Efforts are devoted to exploring how relevance governs the whole communication process in the case of pun application. Depending on the process, the thesis further addresses two main issues.The first one concerns why advertisers frequently choose pun as ostensive stimulus. This is closely tied with pun's distinctive features, such as economy, humor and attention-holding.The focus is put on pun interpretation. It is argued in the thesis that because of pun's cognitive feature, interpretation of pun seems more complicated than other rhetorical devices, thus weighs more to successful communication. Case analysis is conducted under four headings combined with pun's three factors.(1) The advertiser aims at communicating single interpretation.(2) The advertiser employs the rejected interpretation to contribute to the intended one.(3) The advertiser intends to communicate double or multiple interpretations.(4) The advertiser utilizes audience's familiarity with idioms and common sayings or understanding of them to achieve adequate assumptions. This is a novelty in this thesis.Through case analysis in this part, it is made clear that different from other rhetorical devices in advertising, such as repetition, alliteration and rhyme, etc, pun application enables the advertiser to achieve the presumed optimal relevance in several different ways. Advertisers employ audience's different cognitive abilities to achieve their communicative intention. However, whichever way it takes, pun interpretation creates extra contextual effects, enhances message memorability and gives the audience intellectual pleasure from solving the pun. From a social perspective, pun application eliminates distrust of consumers towards advertisers.