An analysis of language features in english advertisements

The history of advertising

Advertising as a way of propaganda has long existed. At first, people were unconscious of it. Early in 3000 B.C, ancient Babylonians had already publicized the ointment sellers, book-copiers and shoes-makers. In ancient Greece, most messages were delivered by criers who stood on street corners, shouting the wares of their sponsors. In ancient Rome, stores and merchandise that people carried were identified by signs－a row of ham represented the butcher, a cow stood for the dairy, a leather boot meant the shoes shop and so on (谢文怡，1997：1). In ancient times, advertising was a kind of early commercial information. Information rather than persuasion was its aim.

The development of advertising was greatly influenced by advancing technology. The invention of movable type by Johannes Gutenberg around 1440 moved society toward a new level of communication – mass communication. No longer restricted by the time required by a scribe to hand-letter a single message, advertising could now be mass-produced (Wells & Burnett & Moriarty, 1989:21). Around the 17^th century, newspaper came to the stage. It provided the advertising with the best carrier. The availability of printed media encouraged more business to advertise.
Along with the passage of time, the history of advertising entered “the Formative Years” (Wells & Burnett & Moriarty, 1989:23).
The mid-1800s marked the beginning of the development of the advertising industry in the U.S. The emerging importance and growth of advertising during this period resulted from a number of social and technological developments associated with the Industrial Revolution.
Since the beginning of the 20^th century, emerging technologies have dramatically impacted and fueled the growth of advertising. The modern media, such as radio-communication, enabled the advertisers to achieve their aims in advertising and made long-distance communication become possible. Television made advertisement colorful and attractive. Advertising entered the modern years. The industry had become a major force in marketing, and had achieved a significant level of respect and esteem.

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