Abstract:
The aim of this study was to analyze strategies and language used for automobile advertising in Thai Rath newspapers in 1998. The methodology of this study was qualitative content analysis. Three hundred and sixty-eight automobile advertisements were analyzed in terms of advertising strategies and the use of language. The analysis of these advertising strategies focused on the following aspects : marketing, motivation, and creativity. Verbal and nonverbal language used was also examined. Frequencies and percentages were used data analysis. The main results of this study revealed that regarding advertising strategies. Marketing was mostly used for sales promotion and privilege. In addition, rational appeals rather than emotional appeals were used for motivation. Moreover. A prospect centered approach was mostly used for a consumers buying decision. Regarding the advertising language, identification and emotional headlines were generally used for verbal communication. Beside, slogans for car advertisements emphasized its use. Special features, punning, and alliteration. Caption was also regularly used for product description. The advertising copy technique mostly used was the one for hard sell. For nonverbal communication, most advertisement illustrations were product pictures with black and white colors. Regular fonts and hyphens were commonly found in advertising. Typical advertisement size was half page of a newspaper. Company or sales agency logo and brand names were used for car advertisements. Finally, space for proportion and lay-out of and advertisement were rarely used.