从广告角度比较中西方文化差异(2)

3.4 Different cultural atmosphere

Chinese people are not accustomed to express their ideas directly, but to use the euphemism, tortuous way to express. Han nationality affected by Confucian ideas is modest, introverted and conservative. This is unlike European and American national export and lively personality. In France, for example, a perfume advertisement: “The one drop is to the beauty, two drop is for the lover, three drop is enough to lead to one love affair.” (Zhu,1999:28).  French people think that this expression is very romantic and attractive, but Chinese consumers think it hard to accept this extreme expression. Three drops can bring a love is fast open. Chinese people are conservative and cautious. They believe down-to-earth do not believe that asking for the moon. So the instant love more difficult to accept.

Chinese culture is known to family peace and harmonious, this is consistent with the physical environment, and this is related closely to the past several thousand years of self-sufficiency family’s economy systems. For example, the “Confucian Temple home wine” ads “home state” (Li, 2002:10). Its ads creativity is from their wine name “home wine Confucian Temples” (Li, 2002:20) in “home”. The phrase “Confucian Temple home wine, make people homesick.” is able to touch the hearts of so many people, because it reflects the homesick feelings of the people. Linked the liquor with a long history of traditional Chinese culture, it shows a profound cultural implication. The ad has strong cultural features, the values embodied in ads does not seem the least competitive, utilitarian, but with a human feeling and a great reunion of the family. 3.5 Different concept of authority and self-worth

Honor and certificates are often used as a tool to attract Chinese customers, because Chinese people always believe in authority. In fact, the honorary certificates don’t relate to the products self characteristic. For example: Shanghai shoes factory recommends selection for the national well-known trademarks, famous trademarks in Shanghai, Ministry of light industry. Shanghai high-quality products. (Shanghai shoes factory), which is basically used for listing a large number of certificates and accolades in large space, this is persuasive to Chinese readers. These certificates and identification evidence means the reputation of high quality and reliable assurance. Several thousand years of feudal system produced the firm official position worship; the idea has been affecting the country. The government awarded a certificate of honor and technology to company, than the certificates have priceless efficiency.

In sharp contrast with China’s ads, English ads is not seen such expression in the ads. Even some international brands and ads will not honor any identification certificates to prove. In the British-based culture, people pursue the self-worth, not deliberately seeking to cross over location. Through individual efforts to shoot for success in career means the dramatic increase of social status and material wealth. The practical spirit has been fully reflected in ads. This can be seen in the following example: Selected by James Bond the sign of Excellence (OMEGA) Switzerland famous swatch, superb work and expensive, is the best option of successful people. Ads have chosen James Bond, the successful spy, to represent the swatch, he has a tremendous attraction for ads, has galactic impel power.

3.6 Different gender image

Chinese and Western culture have different gender image position, this can be found in ads language. Two thousands traditional Confucian ideology influences Chinese idea, the concept of Chinese women has been defined within the framework of gentle graciousness. Thus, in the ads, female models are basically the front feminine beauty. If ads creativity wants to show the performance of lofty aspiration, it will do through man to express generally. To list the example of alcohol ads, in the long course of several thousand years of China history, it seems that alcohol is only the matter for man to express his emotion. In Chinese alcohol ads, a lot of that background is ancient warrior uniform and they carouse do as their pleases, displayed the heroic mettle. And in the 1920s of 20th century, feminist movement began in the United States and then spread to the entire Western world narrowing the gender gap significantly. There is a liquor ads for a blow mobile coach and matcher, women’s pride soaring. China also had female heroes, but if a woman used to the ads, I wonder if people can accept psychologically.

3.7 Different customs

As the differences of natural environment, economic levels and national development history, each nation has its own unique and accustomed lifestyle. For example: Chinese and Japanese use chopsticks to dine, Westerners use forks. Chinese people like to invite guests and give gifts, and the Westerners rarely entertain guests at home; Chinese people like to wear red setting, glue “XI” word and send gifts when they get married , the color red is regarded as lucky. In the west, the red color is not ghillie. For example, one import and export company of China uses the red material packaged the Red fireworks to sell to former Federal Republic of Germany and Sweden , as a result, nobody cared about them , only after using gray package ,the sales  began. But many successful examples of “into the taboo, do as the Romans do were numerous. For example, the Swiss Nestle company put the ads into Chinese market in 1984, use the psychological of “hospitality” of Chinese as breakthrough to occupy the consumer market, the warm hospitality and decency as a customer-led is dominant (Leech G N,1966:82).Quote one Chinese official phrase “extreme surprise” to suit the favor of Chinese people (Wayne J. Keeley,1958:52). This led to a strong emotional response, eliminate the psychological distance between Chinese and Westerners, develop and occupy China’s coffee market effectively.

The national holiday is an important component of national customs and traditions. Each nation has its own traditional method of celebrating festival. For example: China has many important traditional festivals, Spring Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Dragon Boat Festival and so on. Different festival has different customs. Chinese festival is like the family reunion in Spring Festival, children wearing new clothes, fire the firecrackers, gift the red envelopes to each other, and say a few lucky phrases to get the fortune. In Dragon Boat Festival, everybody eats Chibaozi and dumplings, Mid-Autumn Festival is one of the festivals that Han ethnic miss his distant relatives; they will eat moon cakes and salty egg, etc. The background music to these ads gives a sense that arouses people’s cultural identity and makes people feel friendliness.

3.8 Different aesthetics

Beautiful music, the moving pictures, wonderful words and beautiful image, all above will give pleasure and deep impression to people. Many ads executives understand this very point; they do everything possible to the consumer to create visual and auditory sense of beauty, to enhance the consumer’s impression. People in different countries, nationalities, estate and era have different taste standard, this can be reflected in the architecture and style of clothes. In China’s feudal society, women with small feet is seems to be beautiful. But the taste standard of modern people is well proportioned. To the different taste standard, the association arousing in people’s brain is different. For example, the “cock” and “white elephant” are considered as the gook luck and lovely symbol in China. However, in Western eyes, “white elephant” is considered the “harm than benefit, useless and cumbersome things”, and “cock” is the slang meaning of “discharge of abusive words”. Another example is the “lotus” which is the symbol of clearness thing in China, but in Japan is not auspicious (Ding, 1998:15).

Ⅳ. Significance

Advertising Language contains a wealth of cultural connotations. Language itself is a carrier of culture; it divorced from the national culture factors, and divorce from the language exercise of national culture factors. Advertising language has profound society property and national culture connotation. We can dredge up special cultural connotation from different national culture’s advertising language. The Chinese and Western advertising language features have something in common and also have differences, it should learn from each other and complement each other. English advertisement has some practices; it is worth studying by Chinese advertising workers. Chinese advertising workers must work hard, innovate and make foreign things serve for China. Then, Chinese advertisement could make progress and exceed the level of the world’s advertising art. Therefore, in order to increase the attractiveness of advertising and promotion the cultural development. First of all, the western culture essence should be absorbed. Second, traditional culture and modern pop culture should be morally and civilly missed together. Third, it should make the traditional culture adapted to the development of the modern advertising, so to promote international communication. Thus it will make Chinese culture internationalize.

Ⅴ. Conclusion

Nowadays, advertisement not only represents the pure commerce, but also it is one new pattern language species which already is accepted by the public. Culture has a significant impact on the production of advertising execution. All successful advertisements were created according local national culture and advertising culture. Chinese and Western cultures have significant diversity, if the advertising producer didn’t pay attention to distinguishing different culture features while producing the advertisement, he will be hampered. Therefore, the thesis aims to combine Chinese culture and Western culture. In fact, only in this way, can people from different cultures communicate well so as to make China prosperous.

References：

Leech G N .The Language in Advertising [M]. London: Longmans, Green and Co.LTD, 1966

Mueller B. International Advertising: Communicating Across Culture [M]. Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1966.

Wayne J. Keeley, Evidence-Based Dental Advertising and Self-Regulation: A Perspective by the National Advertising Division [M], 1958.

陈秋萍，2000，《广告创意的民族文化内涵》，[M]广西社会科学出版社。

丁使杰，1998，《现代广告通论 》，[M]中国物价出版社。

李思屈,2002，《广告大创意 》，[M]四川出版社。

潘向光，2001，《现代广告学》，[M]浙江大学出版社。

沈继诚,2003，《美国民族性格与美国广告语言》，[J]浙江师范大学学报（社会科学版）第二十八期，第87-第90页。

姚小平，2000，《人文研究和语言研究 》，[M]外语教学与研究出版社

朱华，1996，《产品广告与民族文化》，[J].江南大学学报（人文社会科学版），第四期，第125-第128页

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