University of languages and international studies

Advertisement Analysis

QH2022.E1 – Group 1

Nguyen Ngoc Ha
Ma Ngoc Anh
Nguyen Ha My

The study product is a cloud-based writing assistant that use artificial intelligence to review delivery
mistakes. The following analysis focuses on examining features of the advertisement to determine its
effects on consumers.

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Analysis Form……………………………….…………….……….…….......3

1. Product…………………………………………….……………………..3

2. Features of advertisement………………………………………….…...5

3. Linguistic features…………………………………………………….....6

4. Grammatical aspects………………………………………...………….11

5. Semantic aspects…………………………………………………….…..15

6. Summarized message …………………………………………………..18

II. Conclusion…………………………………………….………………….....19

1. Strengths…………………………………………………………..….....19

2. Weaknesses……………………………….………………………..……19

III. Quiz………………………………………………………………………...20

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I. Analysis Form:

Details Analysis

1.Product: - Grammarly - Application The Grammarly logo presents a

https:// white counter-clockwise arrow
youtu.be/ against a bright green background.
H53JSXPXPxI The logo resembles the letter “G”
(Grammarly’s initial) and the refresh
icon used in most web browsers,
hinting at Grammarly’s ability to
“refresh” your documents.

1.1.
Commercial My job is to make college easier Less than 2 minutes → short and
script: because students have a lot on concise.
their-
(frisbee crashing)
- [Boy] Sorry coach!
- ...plates.
Like Harper, an Econ Major
who piles on the pressure.
Grammarly can help her stress
less.

- This term papers’ gotta be

great. It's a third of my grade.

Your ideas are on the money.

Let's make sure they come across
clearly with Grammarly. Watch
it work, watch it work.

- Wow, that is stronger. And an

Engineering major who runs on
ambition and coffee. Grammarly
can get her her dream job.

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- My application needs to stand
out. They only meet with the top
candidates.

If you want to make a good

impression and nail your
delivery, use Grammarly. You
don't want to pull another all
nighter, do you?

(upbeat music)

Now, that's taking it to the end

zone. Yeah, oh touch down with
Grammarly.

And Blake, an Education major

who knows what he wants. So,
you're gonna be a school teacher.

- Yeah, but first I need to get my

senior thesis over the finish line.
I keep repeating the same words.

Let Grammarly help you find the

right words faster. Grammarly,
do your magic.

And you did it in one place.

Grammarly means better results,

that's why it's the writing tool
selected by 3,000 schools and
universities.

Try Grammarly for free by

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 clicking the blue button. Class
dismissed. Go on, download
Grammarly today.

Blue button, right there,

Grammarly. Oh yeah, click it.
Don't look at us.

It's just a coach and a duck, it's

all right, you click that blue
button.

All right, you've seen it before,

haven't you?
Grammarly, for the win.

1.2. Slogan “Better results with

Grammarly”

2. Features of * Repetition:
advertisement  Words: “Grammarly”, → The repetition of these two words
“better”. throughout the advertisement
emphasises Grammarly’s slogan:
“Better results with Grammarly”.

* Colloquial Language:

 “Grammarly, for the “For the win” means to be the best,

win.” awesome or sure to succeed.

 “ [...] and nail your The slang “to nail something” means
delivery, use to have said or done something
Grammarly.” exactly right.

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 → Embedding slang into
advertisements creates novelty
effects while boosting the brand’s
creative quality. Additionally, slang
helps consumers relate to brands on
a more personal level by giving the
brand’s message a more
conversational tone. In this case, the
use of slang in Grammarly’s
advertisement helps the brand
resonate more with their target
audience, increasing its relevance
and authenticity.

* Humour:
 Verbal: “have a lot on → Copywriters make use of both
their PLATES” visual and verbal aspects. Timing is
 Visual: FRISBEE also included as a good addition to
crashing. the piece, as the two words “plate”
and “frisbee” have the same visual
representation. (which will be
further elaborated in 3.2.10.).
 Visual and Verbal
→ These figures (“a coach” and “a
humour: “Just a coach
duck”) are spontaneously
and a duck”
mentioned, adding a positive feeling
to the advertisement.

3. Linguistic
features

3.1.
Phonological
aspects

3.1.1. Rhyme  “money”-”Grammarly” The copywriter made use of ending

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 → “Your ideas are on the sound /i/ - similar to the ending of
money, let's make sure it comes the product’s name and the
across clearly with Grammarly” repetition of other ending sounds
 Other examples: /es/, /ei/, /ə/, /ɪs/, /u:/
 “Harper” - “Major” - → This makes the advertisement
“pressure” subconsciously more memorable
 “Avery” - “ coffee” while also keeping the nature of the
 “stress” - “less” storyline/conversation.
 “great” - “grade”
 “Stronger” - “major”
 “Delivery” -
“Grammarly”
 “another” - “nighter”
 “thesis” - finish”
 “tool” - “schools” -
“blue”

3.1.2. Rhythm  “Watch it work. Watch it → The narrator stressed the phrase
work!” twice to achieve the emotional effect
in order to get viewers to focus on
Grammarly’s ability. Additionally,
the sentences are linguistically neat
making them more memorable.

3.1.3. None
Alliteration

3.2. Lexical
aspects

3.2.1. Verb * Verbs in present simple form:

phrase  “My job is to make
college easier, because
students have a lot on
their … plates”
 “If you want to make a
→ Using simple form, the
copywriter presents the present state
of students and the implication of
Grammarly. Emphasising its use
within current day situations.

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 good impression, and nail
your delivery, use
Grammarly”

* Verbs in simple imperatives: In this case,

 “Grammarly, do your → “DO your magic” aims to direct
magic.” the viewers’ attention to focus on
what Grammarly can do.

 “Don’t look at us” → “Don't LOOK at us”, “ Click it”

 “Click it.” and “Go on, DOWNLOAD
Grammarly today.” Tell the viewers
to only focus on downloading the
app.

 “Let's make sure they

→ “Let's MAKE SURE they come
come across clearly with
across clearly with Grammarly.”
Grammarly.”
Acknowledges the viewers about
how the app can help them. The
same goes for urging viewers to
“DOWNLOAD” the application
instantly.

 “Go on, download → Imperatives are used to urge

Grammarly today.” actions. Imperatives tell users to
focus on downloading Grammarly.

* Phrasal verbs: Phrasal verbs are used to make the

 “stand out” sentences less formal and bring
 “come across” familiarity to the users. Moreover,
 “pile on” this is another smart way to bring
 “make sure” out different uses, as well as
 “touch down with” advantages of the application in
 “run on” guiding users throughout the
experience.

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 * Modal auxiliary:
 “Grammarly can help her
stress less.”
 “Grammarly can get her
her dream job.”
The auxiliary verb “can” tell users
that Grammarly has the ABILITY
to help them professionally in both
school and work.

3.2.2. Noun  “an Econ major”
phrase  “an Engineering major”
 “an Education major”
Each noun phrase contains two
nouns which, when go together can
help identify the mentioned subject:
 Econ (Economics) (n) +
major (n)
 Engineering (n) + major (n)
 Education (n) + major (n)
→ The repetitive use of noun
phrases increases the advert’s
relevance and relatability, as a
variety of students from different
majors find Grammarly effective.

3.2.3.  “easier”, “stronger”, → The used adjectives are in

Adjectives “faster” comparative forms, highlighting
 “free” characteristics of Grammarly that set
it apart from other competitors. This
is because Grammarly is the best
option on the market that gives
customers free service, while being
faster and easier to use.

3.2.4.  “Grammarly means better The statistics mentioned makes the

Numerals results, that's why it's the app more credible as it is “selected”
writing tool selected by by many institutions.
3,000 schools and
universities.”

3.2.5. Foreign None

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words

3.2.6. None
Intertextualit
y

3.2.7. None
Formation of
new words
and phrases

3.2.8.  “Have a lot on their → The idiom creates relatability

Idiomatic plates.” among users in a creative way. In
constructions  “You don’t want to pull addition, the two idioms both
another all-nighter, do express how work can be overloaded
you?” if not handled delicately. In this
case, the advertisement is further
suggesting specialties of the
application, which is to help users
manage their work with ease.

→ This idiomatic expression means

 “Your ideas are on the
to be completely exact and accurate.
money.”
The advertisement stresses that
despite having “on-point” ideas, one
needs to put them into words, in
which Grammarly can come into
use.

3.2.9.  “Pull an all-nighter” “To pull an all-nighter” means to

Collocations stay up all night doing something.
→ The use of collocations in this
sense connects users with the
character mentioned, as the question
may also aim towards the viewers.

3.2.10. Pun  “...because students have → The advertisement focuses on the

a lot on their- use of visuals, while also mentioning
the word similar to that being

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 (frisbee crashing)
 [Boy] Sorry coach!
 ...plates.”
4.
Grammatical
aspects
4.1. Sentence * Imperatives clauses
type  “Use Grammarly”
 “Watch it work”
 “Let Grammarly help you
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showcased:
To “have a lot on their PLATES” -
said at the very same time as when
the FRISBEE crashed into the
room.
 “Plates” :
 In this case, was mentioned in
a complete sentence as an
idiomatic expression = to
have a lot on one’s plates =
meaning to have a large
amount of work to deal with.
 However, a “Plate” still holds
the most common meaning,
which is a flat disc, used for
serving food.
 “Frisbee” = A plastic disc
designed as a toy for
skimming through the air
after being tossed or thrown
away.
→ Pun, in this case, is achieved by
using polysemy, making it more
memorable and arousing the users’
interest and imagination.
→ Using imperatives makes the
advertisement stronger and more
urgent. In this instance, the
copywriter uses “Use Grammarly”
to urge users to download the app as
it can help them work fast.
→ Similar to other suggestive
 find the right words commands, the word “Let” gives off
faster” a friendly suggestion, while also
maintaining its function in helping
users.

* Questions
 “You don't want to pull
another all nighter, do
you?”
→ This question is asked indirectly.
Meaning the focus for this question
is altered to the person the narrator is
communicating with. However, the
narrator is also indicating us, as
viewers and potential users, to be in
the same situation as given in the
advertisement. This, in turn, has
created a sense of relatability, while
adding a plus for many, since
viewers can certainly view
themselves interacting with an actual
guide, representing a companion,
when they purchase the application.

 “All right, you've seen it

before, haven't you?”
* Statements:
 “Grammarly means better
results.”
→ Contrast to the previous question,
this is asked directly to viewers, in
the form of a Tag Question. In this
case, the copywriters expect the
viewers to answer themselves
silently, indicating they must have
seen such logos before. Plus, this
further showcases how widely
known the application is.
→ The statement is made to assure
users that the application DOES
have its use.

4.2. Sentence
structure

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a. Schematic
patterning * Parallelism
 “Like Harper, an Econ
Major who piles on the
pressure”.
 “And an Engineering
major who runs on
ambition and coffee.”
 “And Blake, an Education
major who knows what he
wants.”
 “Grammarly can help her
stress less.”
 “Grammarly can get her
her dream job.”
*Anaphora:
 “Grammarly = Better
grades = Better
applications = Better
opportunities”
b. Ellipsis  “Blue button, right here,
Grammarly, click it”
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→ These three sentences are
mentioned in three separate
scenarios, as the narrator introduces
a different target audience in the
advertisement (mainly university
students). Parallelism is used to
compliment the diversity of people
using the application, while also
adding a unique touch in repeating
the same structure, making the
sentences memorable.
→ Again, the same structure:
“Grammarly can help her (...)” is
repeated twice.
=>This creates a catchphrase that is
easy to remember and further
emphasises the ability of the
application.
→ As one aspect of parallelism, the
word “better”, which stands at the
beginning of every short phrase, is
repeated three times. This can help
emphasise the special use of the
application, meaning to bring about
“expected” better results, while also
enhancing memorability.
The full sentence should be: “The
blue button, which is right there, is
Grammarly and you should click it”
 → By omitting the relative clause
and the subject, the sentence is
shorter and easier to remember.
Therefore, users can focus on
clicking the blue button and
download Grammarly
→ Creates a sense of informality.

c. Incomplete  “Like Harper, an Econ  These incomplete sentences

sentence Major who piles on the
pressure.”
 “And an Engineering
major who runs on
ambition and coffee.”
 “And Blake, an Education
major who knows what he
wants.”
are all appositive fragments:
they begin with a noun and a
clarifying phrase without a
predicate.
→ There is no need to define
neither the tense nor the aspect of
the verb, as the author wants to
place emphasis on the noun
phrases themselves. The use of
appositives gives us additional
information about the subjects,
while the omission of verb
clauses puts further stress on the
noun phrases.

 These sentences all begin

with conjunctions.
→ Conjunction starts create
dramatic effects by adding
emphasis to the relationship
between two or many linking
ideas. Plus, since its use is
generally looked upon as
informal, the author creates a
sense of familiarity with the
audience by using informal
language.

5. Semantic * Hyperbole:

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aspects  “Do your magic.” Do your work → “Do your magic”.

 “Pile on the pressure” To pile on = to intensify or

exaggerate something for effect; to
express a feeling in a much stronger
way than is necessary.

* Metaphor:
 “Be on the money”
The idiom is widely considered to
originate from horse racing,
especially related bets. A winning
horse would be “on the money”, a
losing horse would be “out of the
money”.
→ In this case, it means “to be exact
or accurate about something”.

 “Runs on ambition and The term “run on” is usually used

coffee” for vehicles to describe their reliance
on fuel to function.
→ In this case, the term “run on”
implies that the Engineering major
lives on ambition and coffee, just as
a car lives on fuel.

 “Taking it to the end

The term “end zone” originates from
zone”
American football. It is the area at
the end of the field where a player
with the ball can score a goal.
→ In this case, the author implies
that using Grammarly is taking the
users closer to their goal.
 “Get my senior thesis
A finish line is a line marking the
over the finish line”
end of a race.
→ In this case, it means that the

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 “Have a lot on their
plates”
 “Nail your delivery”
 “Touch down with
Grammarly”
 “Grammarly, for the win”
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person needs to finish their senior
thesis.
The idiom “to have a lot on one’s
plate” means to have a large amount
of work or pressure to deal with. The
term transferred the image of an
overcrowded dinner plate to a very
full agenda.
The slang “to nail something” means
to have said or done something
exactly right. In order to
successfully drive a nail into a
surface, it’s not enough to simply hit
the nailhead - you must hit it just
right so the nail goes in straight.
→ In this case, the copywriter
implies that Grammarly helps the
user perfect their delivery in the
same sense as hitting a nail exactly
onto a surface.
A touchdown is a scoring play in
American football. It is described as
the act of touching a football to the
ground behind the opponent’s goal.
It also means the point at which an
aircraft first makes contact with the
landing surface.
→ In this case, “touch down with
Grammarly” means that Grammarly
technically helps you score a goal.
“For the win” means to be the best,
awesome or sure to succeed. The
slang is thought to have originated
 from earlier use by radio and
television sports announcers,
describing a play that results in a
win, bringing the game to a
conclusion.
→ In this case, the author implies
* Personification: that Grammarly will help you score
 “ Grammarly can help her
the winning goal.
stress less.”
Grammarly is an AI-powered typing
 “ Grammarly can get her
assistant, which means it’s an
her dream job.”
inanimate object. Grammarly is
 I keep repeating the same
given human traits: to “help” and to
words.”
“get”.
→ This further indicates the
copywriters’ intention to highlight
Grammarly’s AI-based functions
while giving it human-like attributes
: customers do not simply own
Grammarly as a product, but
Grammarly itself helps people do
*Antithesis:
things.
 “I keep repeating the
same words.”
 “Let Grammarly help you The two contrasting concepts here
find the right word are “keep repeating the same words”
faster.” and “find the right words faster”.
The two subsets of opposite
structures are “keep” - “faster” and
“same words” - “right words”.
→ By creating a contrasting effect
between the two concepts, the author
highlights the stark difference
between not using and using
Grammarly, which persuades the
audience to buy their product.

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6.
Summarised The author uses narrative as a Since customers want personalised
message means to communicate their experiences, Grammarly’s marketers
message: “Better results with tell a story that is authentic and
Grammarly”. relevant to their target audience,
which are students. The advert
involves 4 main characters: viewers
follow the coach to meet 3 students
struggling with their schoolwork,
while the coach suggests using
Grammarly as a solution to their
problems. The results can be seen
almost immediately, and their goals
are fulfilled at the end of the
advertisement.
→ The copywriters use storytelling
marketing to resonate with the
audience on an emotional level. This
includes the tone of voice, the use of
colloquial language, relatable
characters and an authentic story.
When viewers can emotionally
connect to the story, they may find
the products practical in their own
situations and thus, buying the
product.

II. Conclusion

1. Strengths
 In general, the advertisement has successfully delivered their message to promote
the application while keeping its credibility.

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  The advertisement is kept short and concise, with engaging narration, similar to a
conversation between two people ( the narrator - the audience )
 Regarding phonological aspects, the copywriter has created a remarkable naming
for their brand using rhythmic structures. In turn, the catchy soundings in choices
of words have also added neat touches to the advertisement, making them more
memorable to the audience.
 In terms of lexical aspects, the advertisement contains simple wordings, smart and
appealing puns, colloquial language (e.g contraction: “gotta”) → the advertisement
appeals to its target audience - students.
 With regards to grammatical aspects, many imperatives are used in this
advertisement which further emphasises the idea of the whole advertisement:
“With Grammarly, you get instant writing suggestions to ensure everything you
type for class is clear, effective, and mistake-free”
 Use of colour: the colour scheme of the coach’s clothes matches that of
Grammarly’s logo. The colour scheme in combination with the logo at the top left
corner → audience immediately recognizes Grammarly.
→ The advertisement is a skippable in-stream advertisement on Youtube (viewers
can skip the advertisement after 5 secs). The logo, the clothing colours and the
phrase “my job is to make college easier, because students have a lot..” → This
immediately draws the audience's attention to the fact that Grammarly is targeting
to help students within the first unskippable 5 seconds.

2. Weaknesses
- The sentences are quite lengthy and do not have any particular slogan/catchy
saying →hard to make an impression.
E.g: “Finger lickin’ good”(KFC), “Have a break - Have a KitKat” (KitKat).

III. Quiz

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 Questions
1. Which lexical aspect is mentioned
in this sentence on the right (hint:
below Teint Miracle)?
A. Verb phrase
B. Noun phrase
C. Numerals

=> B. Noun phrase

2. Fill in the blank to complete the

idiomatic expression:

=> “ketchup” = catch up

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3. Which semantic aspect is used in
the picture?
A. Personification
B. Metaphor
C. Metonymy

=> B. Metaphor

4. Which sentence structure is used

in the advertisement picture?
A. Anaphora
B. Parallelism
C. Epiphora

=> A. Anaphora

5. Which phonological aspect do

these brands have in common?
A. Rhyme
B. Rhythm
C. Alliteration

=> C. Alliteration

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6. Identify the semantic aspect.
A. Homonymy
B. Metonymy
C. Polysemy

-> A. Homonymy
7. Identify the semantic aspect.
A. Polysemy
B. Homonym
C. Simile

=> A. Polysemy

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8. Which rhetorical device is used in
the sentence?
A. Hyperbole
B. Simile
C. Personification

=> B. Simile
9. Identify the semantic aspect.
A. Parallelism
B. Hyperbole
C. Antithesis

=> C. Antithesis
10. Identify the semantic aspect.
A. Personification
B. Hyperbole
C. Simile

=> B. Hyperbole

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