This thesis will mainly look at two fast food restaurants, McDonald’s and Burger King, and will look at several advertisements from the 1960s to today. It will analyze the advertisements in terms of linguistic structures and will look at how advertisements have developed over the decades.
They are in our everyday life, on our phones when we look for a new app to install, on television while watching our favorite show, on our notebooks when we check our emails, or even when we walk down the street to get our morning coffee—advertisements are everywhere and one cannot escape or ignore them. Yet, as much as pop-ups, billboards and commercial breaks crowd our lives, in a way, they do not bother us at all, and that is the cunning beauty of advertising. It should get the point across, making us aware of something, telling us about a new product, convincing us to purchase an item, by subtly trying to persuade us that we need it when in reality we do not, whatever it is.
Advertisements can come in many forms and genres, they can be a poem, they can be a little short story, a catchy jingle, or just a picture; whatever form they might take, the message of persuading the consumer to buy the advertised product makes this accumulation of genres a genre in itself. It, moreover, is important to mention that whos and wheres of advertising are factors that have to be taken into consideration when drafting an advertisement for a product. What is the product and who could benefit from it? Where should the advertisement to the product appear so it can be easily seen by the target group? How can the features of the product be made easy to read and easy to understand, and furthermore and more importantly, urge the target group to purchase it?—here is where language comes into play.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Histroy of Advertising, the Diachronic Perspective and Methods
3 Analysis
3.1 McDonald’s
3.2 Burger King
3.3 Other Fast Food Restaurants
4 Comparison: McDonald’s & Burger King
5 Conclusion: the Contemporary State and the Future of Advertising
Objectives and Topics
This thesis examines the evolution of advertising strategies for major fast-food chains, specifically McDonald’s and Burger King, from the 1960s to the present day. The primary research focus lies on analyzing linguistic structures, rhetorical shifts, and the adaptation of advertising to social trends, demographics, and cultural changes over the decades.
- Diachronic analysis of fast-food advertising linguistics
- Evolution of target demographic strategies (e.g., family vs. individual appeal)
- The impact of socio-historical context on advertising content
- Comparative analysis of branding and competitive positioning
- Shifts from information-heavy print advertisements to minimalist modern designs
Excerpt from the Book
1 Introduction
They are in our everyday life, on our phones when we look for a new app to install, on television while watching our favorite show, on our notebooks when we check our emails, or even when we walk down the street to get our morning coffee—advertisements are everywhere and one cannot escape or ignore them. Yet, as much as pop-ups, billboards and commercial breaks crowd our lives, in a way, they do not bother us at all, and that is the cunning beauty of advertising. It should get the point across, making us aware of something, telling us about a new product, convincing us to purchase an item, by subtly trying to persuade us that we need it when in reality we do not, whatever it is.
Advertisements can come in many forms and genres, they can be a poem, they can be a little short story, a catchy jingle, or just a picture; whatever form they might take, the message of persuading the consumer to buy the advertised product makes this accumulation of genres a genre in itself. It, moreover, is important to mention that whos and wheres of advertising are factors that have to be taken into consideration when drafting an advertisement for a product. What is the product and who could benefit from it? Where should the advertisement to the product appear so it can be easily seen by the target group? How can the features of the product be made easy to read and easy to understand, and furthermore and more importantly, urge the target group to purchase it?—here is where language comes into play.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter introduces the omnipresence of advertising in daily life and establishes the research focus on the linguistic and strategic evolution of fast-food advertisements.
2 Histroy of Advertising, the Diachronic Perspective and Methods: This chapter defines the theoretical framework, detailing historical classifications of advertising eras and the specific linguistic methods used for diachronic research.
3 Analysis: This section provides a detailed examination of advertising campaigns for McDonald’s, Burger King, and other chains, highlighting key shifts in tone, target groups, and formal presentation.
4 Comparison: McDonald’s & Burger King: This chapter synthesizes the findings to compare the branding strategies, target demographic approaches, and the varying levels of controversy in the histories of both companies.
5 Conclusion: the Contemporary State and the Future of Advertising: This final chapter reflects on the trends toward minimalism in modern advertising and theorizes on potential future directions, including the role of nostalgia and retro-marketing.
Keywords
Advertising history, McDonald’s, Burger King, diachronic research, linguistics, fast food, branding, target audience, print advertisements, slogan, demographics, rhetorical structure, minimalism, marketing strategy, consumer behavior
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this thesis?
The work focuses on the evolution of linguistic and visual advertising strategies used by major fast-food chains, specifically McDonald’s and Burger King, from the 1960s to the present.
What are the primary themes analyzed in the paper?
The central themes include the changing use of language (slang, adjectives, narrative style), the targeting of specific demographics, the impact of social movements, and the shift from information-dense print ads to modern, minimalist designs.
What is the core research objective?
The objective is to conduct a diachronic analysis to understand how advertising reflects the "pulse of the times" and how linguistic structures in ads have developed in response to corporate competition and changing societal values.
Which scientific methods are employed?
The thesis utilizes diachronic and synchronic research approaches, applying models from linguistic scholars like Nina Janich, Manfred Görlach, and Rosemarie Fährmann to analyze formal, semantic, and pragmatic levels of advertising.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section investigates specific advertising case studies, including McDonald’s breakfast and salad campaigns, Burger King’s competitive "Whopper" ads, and notable industry controversies like the "Proud Whopper" or the "Where's the beef?" campaign.
Which keywords characterize this publication?
Key terms include advertising history, diachronic research, branding, fast food, target demographics, and minimalist design, reflecting both the linguistic and marketing aspects of the study.
How does the author evaluate the "minimalist" trend in current advertising?
The author observes that modern advertisements have shifted away from dense body text toward minimalism, where visual symbols—like the wifi-fries advertisement—are expected to communicate the message without the need for detailed explanations.
What role did the civil rights and feminist movements play in 1970s advertising?
The author highlights that major societal shifts during this era compelled advertising agencies to broaden their target demographics, leading to increased racial diversity in commercials and different approaches to addressing women as consumers.
Does the thesis conclude that the "retro" trend will influence future advertising?
Yes, the author suggests that the "nostalgic factor" and "going retro" are growing trends, predicting that brands may increasingly return to classic fonts and image framing to connect with modern consumers who value nostalgic aesthetics.
- Quote paper
- Samuel Fulmer (Author), 2015, McDonald's & Burger King. Advertising History from the 1960s to Today, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/463382
