Author: Manas Ranjan Chaudhuri
DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.70798/Bijmrd/03040004
Abstract: This study delves into the intricate rhetorical and linguistic tactics utilized within Indian English and Bangla newspaper advertisements, exploring their pivotal role in cultivating cultural resonance across India’s richly diverse, multilingual populace. Drawing from an extensive collection of advertisements spanning January 2020 to April 2025, the research examines publications from six major English dailies – The Times of India, The Hindu, The Indian Express, Hindustan Times, The Economic Times, and The Telegraph – alongside two prominent Bangla newspapers, Anandabazar Patrika and Bartaman. The analysis focuses on syntactic constructs such as imperatives, parallelism, alliteration, anaphora, and antithesis; semantic tools like metaphors, puns, and cultural references; and cultural markers including code-mixing, Indian English expressions, and Bangla colloquialisms. It illustrates how these advertisements skilfully weave global marketing paradigms with localized linguistic and cultural elements to forge compelling narratives. Anchored in sociolinguistic theories such as Kachru’s (2005) framework on Indian English, McQuarrie and Mick’s (1996) rhetorical models, and Dasgupta’s (1993) examination of Bangla media, the findings reveal advertisements as vital conduits linking global ambitions with regional identities. This work enhances the understanding of how advertisers adeptly manoeuvre through India’s multifaceted socio-cultural terrain to connect with varied consumer groups, shedding light on the evolving dynamics of persuasive communication in India’s multilingual advertising sphere.
Keywords: Indian English, Linguistic strategies, Rhetorical tactics, Cultural resonance, Multilingual advertising, Indian Culture.
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