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Although Britain and the United States may seem very similar in culture and belief because they share a language, there are many factors that differentiate the two. Both are highly developed technological nations. Also, both countries are leaders in the worlds economy. Because of this, both nations have very diverse markets appealing to many different types of consumers. From an advertising standpoint, companies and strategies may seem similar, but after researching, it is clear to see that there are many differences.
American culture is made up of many different cultures. In the U. S. , there are numerous nationalities, races, religions, and social classes. The same is true of England. For this reason, advertising must appeal to a large variety of interests. Certain ads for specific products are targeted for specialized consumers.
Others are aimed to the general public. An example of a target ad would be for a particular store, while one aimed at the general public would be for a healthcare service. When advertising is done on an international level, it is extremely important to be sensitive of different cultures. This is because something that may be a common phrase in one culture may be offensive in another. This often occurs when advertisements are translated from one language to another.
A slogan or word that may be positive, promoting a product in American culture, may mean something obscene when it is translated for the same product in another country. Although English is the language spoken in both the United States and in Britain, words and phrases in ads have different meanings. It is clear to understand the meaning of the advertisements themselves, but certain words may be uncommon to our everyday vocabulary. Product brands are different as well. After researching a number of British fashion magazines, I have selected five print advertisements that have comparable differences to American advertisements. The first ad that I have chosen to interpret is for Virgin Atlantic, a British airline.
I found this ad very interesting because the copy is written in a diary form. It begins on Friday August 3, 2001 and ends on the opposite page on Saturday August 4, 2001. The first entry describes the passengers thoughts on how the flight will affect her personally. Such things are that shes not able to have a cigarette and how alcohol makes you seem heavier due to gravity.
The word unflappable appears. This is not common in American vocabulary, instead, the word immobile would be used. The next entry in the advertisements diary mentions the trolley, something that would be equivalent to an American bus. In almost every entry of the ad, there is a mention of either a cigarette or an alcoholic beverage.
This indicates the British emphasis on nightlife. It also goes along with the idea that they drink and smoke a lot, something that is often frowned upon by many health conscience Americans. I also found it interesting that the entries are not written in the first person with the use of I. Rather, the sentences just begin the thoughts of the woman on the plane. She never says I need a cigarette or I spilt my chardonnay on my lap. Instead, it is written as need cigarette and spilt chardonnay on lap.
After having the ad interpreted, I was informed that Americans do use the first person I and me or my more often, while the British speak more generally. This may be an indication of Americans being more self-involved. When comparing British print advertisements to American print advertisements, it is clear to see that they are different in the element of sex appeal being portrayed. Sex appeal is a common theme among ads in the U. S.
They often have negative connotations and portray women in a demeaning fashion. Ads that picture overtly sexy women in minimal clothing also indicate that they may be inferior to men. The same types of ads are found in British magazines. They are more common and more provocative.
The pictures are similar in most cases, but the copy is far more sexually explicit in context. In a British advertisement for Organics, a line of hair care products, there are eleven different pictures of the same woman. The copy reads: For Youve got a job to do hair. The phrase youve got a job to do can easily be interpreted with sexual connotations. In each of the eleven boxes, the same woman is pictured with a different hairstyle and a different caption. The captions refer to the job that a man has to do to her such as forgive me, shag me, and worship me.
The most obvious difference is the use of the shag me phrase. In American culture this term is not used to talk about sex, while it is known to be extremely common among the British. Another difference in this ad is seen in the model. In most cases when models are shown in American ads they have perfect features. Americans are accustomed to having braces put on if their teeth aren't straight, a luxury that not all Europeans can afford.
The woman in the advertisement has an obvious space between her teeth. Although this may not be a verbal difference in culture, it can represent a different attitude towards vanity. When asked to differentiate between this ad and an American ad for a similar product, an interpreter commented that it was not uncommon for British ads to be outwardly sexual in content. Also, it is not uncommon for people to have imperfections such as the woman's teeth because their culture is not centered around personal appearance. The next ad that has a cultural difference is for Freixenet liquor. The copy reads Tops off, which I have been told is a European phrase.
Translated to American English, it would be to salute something. Although it may not seem like a significant difference, it is something that would be uncommon to read in an American ad. The other thing that is a distinction of British culture is the spelling of the word favourite. In U.
S. English, it is spelled favorite. Most words are spelled the same between the two countries, however, there are other instances like this one. The meaning remains the same in both cases though.
In an advertisement for a product that is popular in the United States, there was an immediate indication t...
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Research essay sample on Key Differences In British And American Advertising
