Intertextuality as a discourse strategy: Mass culture in printed ads

Abstract

Works of popular culture such as songs or films referred to in printed advertisements can be understood in terms of intertextuality as a discourse strategy. These references allow recipients' mental space processing of the advertisement, thus enabling the recipients to become co-authors of the message. Multigeneric intertextuality, i.e., exhibiting the switch of genres, is a major type of mass culture intertextual reference. This paper deals with its employment in ads and its twofold function of building a desired emotional attitude towards the advertised item through exploring the mental space; and enhancing memorability by contextualizing the product in a novel way. This capacity makes intertextuality an effective advertising discourse strategy.