The Language of Online Advertising: Stylistic Analysis of Traveloka Advertisements

Abstract

Aims: The objective of this study is to provide a stylistic analysis of select Traveloka advertisements. Specifically, it aims to describe the meaning, form, and function of the advertisements’ linguistic features at the subsentential, sentential, suprasentential, and graphological levels. Methodology: This qualitative study uses linguistic description in analyzing Traveloka advertisements. The form, meaning, and function of the linguistic features of each advertisement (including photo and caption) are analyzed at the subsentential, sentential, suprasentential, and graphological levels. Results: This stylistic analysis reveals the following linguistic features of three Traveloka advertisements at subsentential, sentential, suprasentential, and graphological levels: (1) second person point of view and conversational tone, (2) evaluative adjectives with positive meanings, (3) minimal use of hard words, (4) wordplay, (5) hashtags, (6) sentence fragments for a stylistic effect, (7) simple sentences, (8) average sentence length appropriate for average readers, (9) collocation and synonymy or near-synonymy for cohesion, (10) coherence, (11) highlighting techniques, and (12) images. Conclusion: These linguistic features of the three Traveloka advertisements serve the purpose of drawing the reader’s attention to the product’s good qualities and persuading the reader to buy the product. These linguistic features prove useful in designing effective online travel advertisements.