Advertising as a Linguistic Tool: A Syntactic Study of English and Vietnamese Brand Slogans

Abstract

Advertising slogans are one of the most influential tools for building brand identity and attracting consumer attention in today’s competitive market. Despite their widespread use, many marketing professionals continue to face challenges in crafting effective slogans, often leading to weak associations between brands and their slogans. This study aims to investigate the distinctive syntactic features of English and Vietnamese advertising slogans, with the purpose of identifying both similarities and differences between the two languages. A descriptive and comparative research design was employed, analyzing a corpus of advertising slogans collected from English and Vietnamese newspapers and magazines. The findings reveal that slogans in both languages frequently employ simplicity, brevity, and elliptical structures—such as noun phrases, adjective phrases, and verb phrases—though English slogans show a greater tendency toward ellipsis and dynamic expressions. Additionally, repetition at the syntactic level emerges as a significant device in both languages, enhancing memorability and persuasive power. These results provide valuable implications for teaching and learning business English, offering learners and teachers deeper insights into the linguistic mechanisms of advertising language. Furthermore, the study proposes practical guidelines for advertisers and copywriters to design effective slogans that strengthen brand recognition and consumer engagement.