(IM)POLITENESS IN ADVERTISING AMONG HERBAL DRUG SELLERS IN OWERRI METROPOLIS

Abstract

Abstract

This paper holds that irrespective of the advertising strategies adopted by marketers of goods and services, the choice of language can still make or mar the entire process of advertising. Against this background, the paper investigates the linguistic politeness and impoliteness features in advertisements of herbal drugs around Owerri metropolis in the southeastern part of Nigeria. Six audio recorded advertisements of herbal products, collected from various points in the city, were subjected to descriptive analysis using Brown and Levinson’s (1987) face-saving theory of politeness. Analysis reveals that herbal drug advertisements are characterized by a few polite and face-enhancing speech acts which include seeking attention, greetings and dramatic conversation and, a profusion of impolite and face-threatening acts which include direct command (nine times), insults (once), unwarranted question (once) and claim of multiple benefits (fourteen times). The implication of the above is that herbal drug sellers pay a little attention to the face wants of customers and, they often directly command their customers and tell them lies in a desperate bid to woo them. The paper concludes that herbal drug advertisers should carefully select polite utterances and minimize exaggerated expressions.