3.2 Violation of the maxims
Grice thought only both speaker and listener obey the principle, could their intercourse be concordant and harmonic. While he also noticed that people didn’t always obey the principle in social activity, on the contrary, they breached it intentionally. So Grice gives four ways to explain the failure to fulfill a maxim.
“Firstly, he may quietly and unostentatiously VIOLATE a maxim; if so, in some cases he will be liable to mislead.” It means you are intentional to violate the maxim.[27] For example: If someone invites you to join in a party, but you don’t like to. Avoiding offence to him, you may say, “ sorry, I have promised Jim to go shopping”. At this time, you know you tell lies, but you have to.
“Secondly, he may OPT OUT from the operation both of the maxim and the CP; he may say, indicate, or allow it to become plain that he is unwilling to cooperate in the way the maxim requires. He may say, for example, I cannot say more; my lips are sealed.
Thirdly, he may be faced by a CLASH: he may be unable, for example, to fulfill the first maxim of Quality (Be as informative as is required) without violating the second maxim of Quality (have adequate evidence for what you say).”[28] For example:
[16] A: Where does X live?
B: Somewhere in the suburbs of the city.
The answer of B breaches the Quantity, because he provides less information that A wants to know. But if B really doesn’t know where X lives, he obeys the Quality that do not say what you lack adequate evidence; if B knows the address of B, yet he does not want to tell A, then he implicates that he doesn’t want to tell A.
“Fourthly, he may FLOUT a maxim; that is, he may BLATANTLY fail to fulfill it. On the assumption that the speaker is able to fulfill the maxim and to do so without violating another maxim (because of a clash), is not opting out, and is not, in view of the blatancy of his performance, trying to mislead, the hearer faced with a minor problem; How can his saying what he did say be reconciled with the supposition that he is observing the overall CP? This situation is one that characteristically gives rise to a conversational implicature; and when a conversational implicature is generated in this way, I say that a maxim is being EXPLOITED.”[29] Give an example:
[17] A: Where is Mary?
B: There is a blue car outside Bill’s house.
In the conversation, B breaches Quantity, but if A assumes that B is willing to cooperate with him, he will try to relate his question to B’s answer. Basing on their common sense that Mary has a blue car, and then he will understand that B is telling him that Mary is at Bill’s house.
In advertisement, the advertiser violates the cooperative principle in the fourth way to attain a certain purpose, thus making the utterance produce ambiguity. Although the advertisement disobeys the principle, but it can arouse the audiences curiosity and induce them to buy the product and at last achieve a better effect. Look at some advertisements:
[18] “You can buy Happiness.”[30]
It is the slogan of a shampoo advertisement. The advertisement breaches the Manner Maxim—avoid ambiguity, for happiness has double meanings here: “delight” and “the name of the product”. It wants to express the meaning that if you buy Happiness, you will attain happiness. Although it breaches the Cooperative Principle, it impresses the audiences deeply and arouses their interest to have a try.
[19] “In our country we keep animals in the forest and people in the cages.” [31]
It is the advertisement for Volvo Car Company. From the ad, people may give an assumption that they keep animals in the forest while shut themselves in the cages. But to the common sense, the phenomenon is impossible. So the advertisement breaches the Quality that you only can say what you think is right. But through the context of the advertisement, the audiences can understand the cages refer to Volvo car, and finally know the meaning of the advertisement that the Volvo Company aims at producing more and better cars for people.
[20] “The Unique Spirit of Canada: we bottled it.
Right to the finish, its Canadian spirit stands out from the ordinary. What keeps the flavor coming. Super lightness. Supper taste. If that’s where you’d like to head, set your course for Lord Calvert Canadian.” [32]
The example is taken from the advertisement of Lord Calvert Canadian. At the first sight of the advertisement, people would be drawn, for they wonder what’s the unique spirit of Canada. After thinking, they would find “To bottle the spirit” has two meanings here: one is to bottle the liquor; the other is to put the Canadian spirit into this liquor. The advertisement breaches Manner Maxim but arouses people’s curiosity. Pun in the advertisement has a great function.
4. The pragmatic function of pun in advertisement
Pun has a lot of advantages such as conciseness, wit and humor, novelty and vividness. It produces a particularly rhetorical and pragmatic effect when people use the language creatively in a specified context. The proper use can make the advertisement impressive and attractive.
4.1 Wit and humor
Pun, the game of word, produces wit and humor effect to attract the audiences’ attention and inspires their association. In the age of rapid rhythm, advertisement with pun like a spice makes people enjoy themselves in the advertising atmosphere, and reduces their pressure in a relaxed environment.
[21] “When the wind has a bite… and you feel like a bite… then bite on a whole Nut.”[33]
The word “bite” has several meanings: grip, food, and eat. The whole sentence means that when the strong wind hurts you and you are very hungry, just eat some Nut. After day working, people would feel tired and hungry, while the advertisement is just the situation of them. Therefore, they would be attracted to buy the product, so they will not suffer hunger after work. Also, the sentence sounds like tongue twist.
[22] “Excellent Taste!”[34]
It is a word in an advertisement for a whiskey product—Jamson. In the advertisement, when the hero drank the Jamson whiskey that the heroine introduced to him, he said, “Excellent Taste”. Generally speaking, “taste” means “favor”, but here, another meaning is “the ability to appreciate what is beautiful”. So the advertisement means: this kind f whiskey as good flavor; the heroine has high appreciation. The advertiser uses pun to praise both the product and the consumers who choose their product. It caters for people’ vanity and induces them to buy the product.
4.2 Creativeness and originality
This is typical of advertising language. An advertisement has a high demand of diction every word playing an important role. If human emotions have to be inspired, the words, strong in expressing emotions, will be chosen. In advertisement, originality is king. A new way of sending message can set a brand apart from copycats and also-rans. So it is important to use something novel such as coinage in the advertisement to draw people’ attention. Normally, a new created word accepted by readers can enhance the freshness and attraction of the advertisement. Good advertisers use coinage to refresh the advertisement and to achieve its propagandist purpose.
[23] “Cab Fourward.”[35]
It is an advertisement title of Ram Car produced by Doqi company. The word “fourward” sounds like “forward”. Connecting it with the picture in the advertisement, people would know why it uses ‘fourward”. Because the four doors of this kind of car could be opened from four directions. The advertiser creates the word “fourward” from “forward” to show the speciality of the car.
[24] “Catch the Raincheetah and cheat the rain.”[36]
It is an advertisement in Toronto Daily Star. The punny word “Raincheetah”, the name of the raincoat, sounds like “raincheater” while the word “raincheater” derives from “windcheater”. The word “cheat” in the sentence makes it wonderful and let people feel that this kind of raincoat can protect the consumers well. Pun gives people impression of novelty and interest.
4.3 Satisfying people’s requirement of beauty
A good advertisement is a text from which people can appreciate the art of language, especially advertisement using pun. Pun in advertisement is orderly and antithetic that makes people feel the aesthetic modality of language. The characters of pun, such as vividness, wit and humor, pleasure people’s spirit and let them enjoy the beauty of language. For instance:
[25] “Give your hair a touch of spring.”[37]
It is an advertisement for shampoo. The word “spring” here is very vivid and like a picture in people’ mind: after using the shampoo, the long hair becomes elastic and shining. When you stand there, your hair will go with wind. Everyone likes beauty, so the advertisement caters for people’ desire and induces them to buy the product to make them more beautiful.
4.4 Satisfying the requirement of society--Economy
With the rapid development of the society, people become busier and busier, so they require short and easy remembered advertisement to supply the message they want. But how to impress the audiences is a question. The answer is using pun. But why is pun especially favored by the advertiser? The main reasons as following:
“Firstly, advertisement is paid message, with limited space and time, so it doesn’t allow verbiage to waste the investment. Pun with double meaning has the characteristic of small carrier but plenty of connotations. So it is very economic, effective and money-saving to the advertiser.
Secondly, in modern society, people pay more and more attention to effect, and get tired of the tedious advertisement. The pun in advertisement is usually formed by short sentences. Some use the name of the product as the theme of the advertisement. Some use excellent phrases to show the specialties of the product. To the audiences, it saves their time to get the information they want.
Thirdly, usually, the audiences read or watch advertisement unintentionally and only can remember something unconsciously. So, to achieve expected propagandist effect, the advertisement must reduce the memory message. Pun is suitable for the requirement. The content is short, the form rhythmic, and the style novel, which are easily remembered and impressed people deeply.”[38]
In a word, pun uses fewer words to express full message which is the content of Economy Principle, and it usually reaches the purpose of advertisement that is arouse consumers’ attention to a commodity and induce them to use it. For instance:
[26] “Two beer or not two beer, that’s a question. ----Shakesbeer”[39]
Looking at the beer advertisement, people would associate it with the proverb “To be or knot to be, that’s a question” in Hamlet. Shakesbeer is the name of the beer, but it sounds like “Shakespeare” who is known nearly all over the world, so it is easy for people to remember the Shakesbeer. And the word said by Hamlet is also very famous, especially in western country. The sentence is short and the pattern is famous, so people will remember the product naturally.
[27] “Go well, Go Shell.”[40]
It is an advertisement for Shell Oil Company. “Well” sounds like “where”, so it implies that go to Shell company to buy oil. Only four words are used in the advertisement, but express the meaning fully and impress people deeply. Imagine that one day, when you drive your car, suddenly, the oil is run out. So you are wondering where to go, then, of course, you will remember the words “Go well, go Shell”. So you will go to Shell at once. The slogans impress the audiences deeply and persuade them to buy the product invisibly.
[28] “Make Time For Time.”[41]
It is an advertisement for Time magazine. The advertisement uses the pun on homonymy of the word “time” to refer two meanings: common sense of time, and the name of he magazine. The advertisement means that read Time magazine to seize time. In the society full of competition, time is important and magazines also play an important role which people have to read to broaden their view. While Time magazine will not only broaden view, but also save your time. It satisfies people’s requirement.
4.5 Implying Warning
Some advertisements imply warming. Pun can make the warming vivid and effective so that people can pay attention to it. For instances:
[29] “Better late than the late.”[42]
It is a public service advertising of traffic. It derives from the proverb “Better late than never”. In the sentence, “the late” means” the dead”, and it reminds the drivers to drive slowly and carefully. The advertisement with pun here has more powerful to persuade the drivers to care their security.
Another example:
[30] “The driver is safer when the road is dry;
The road is safer when the driver is dry.”[43]
It is also an advertisement for safe driving. The excellent word is “dry” which has double meanings: without water and without drinking. It expresses if the road is dry and the driver doesn’t drink, all drivers will be safer. The antitheses and thyme of the sentence has more powerful to warm people.
4.6. Making the product more profitable and competitive
The speciality of pun is useful in advertisement, and favored by people. If a advertiser can make full use of it to satisfy people’s requirement, the product may precede others and gain the market.
[31] “A deal with us means a good deal to you.”[44]
Here, the double meanings of “deal” are: the amount and business. The meanings of the advertisement are that: do trade with us is a good business to you; doing business with us, you will get a lot. Advertisers use pun skilful to inspire the audiences’ curiosity and attract their interest to do the deal.
[32] “Powe to influence others.”[45]
It is an advertisement for a Hector Powe Clothing Company. They advocate that if you wear their clothes, you will have power to influence other people. Because “Powe” is like “power”. It satisfies people’s desire of power, so they like to have a try. Thus, it will bring great profit to the Powe company. Maybe people with the clothes can’t have more power, but the company has the power to influence the market.
5. Conclusion
Advertisement is a way for the company to propaganda their product. To gain the market among the severe competition, it is important to carry out a wonderful advertisement to promote their product, and figures of speech is an effective way to achieve the purpose. Among the figures, pun is a wide and frequent approach, because it is an effective way to make the advertisement attractive, accurate, striking, vivid and forceful. Although pun violates the pragmatic maxims, it can correspond to the requirement that said by Geoffrey N.Leech, a famous British linguist, that advertising words must be vivid, conspicuous and impressive, with high readability and the force to promote sales, so it is used widely in advertisement. Pun in advertisement has many forms of expression such as pun on polysemy, homophone, hononymy, parody, illustrations and words, grammar, etc. and can result in the effects of humor, wit, beauty, economy, warning, and even makes the product more competitive and profitable. So only understand its pragmatic analysis, types and function of pun, can it be used rightly and make the advertisement sweet to the ear, and pleasing both the eye and mind.
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反语的幽默属性和语用功能
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