Examining Commercial Advertising Discourses in Ethiopia against Advertising Principles, and Social Norms and Values

Abstract

The objective of this research was to examine commercial advertisement discourses in Ethiopia against advertising principles. To answer research questions, data were gathered through questionnaire and commercial advertisements written in Amharic about beverages. Using questionnaire, data were gathered from postgraduate students at Jimma, Addis Ababa and Hawasa universities, and the written commercial advertisement discourse was gathered from magazines. Then, the data were analyzed numerically and textually. The findings showed that some commercial advertising discourses were not written in line with the country’s advertising principles, and social norms and values. Besides, exaggeration was used to advertise low-quality products. According to the findings, non-professionals still lead the advertising industry. Furthermore, beverage advertisements violated the country’s advertising principles, and they imposed the company’s business ideology on the public, and encouraged the public to drink alcohols. Some advertising discourses also cause linguistic fallacy by introducing untranslated words into the Amharic word group. As recommendation, the government should recruit professionals to reform the advertising industry, and check whether the commercial advertising discourses respect the country’s advertising principles.