THE PHENOMENON OF PUN IN PUBLIC SERVICE ADVERTISING

Defining language tools for manipulating recipients' consciousness in public service advertising is quite a topical issue in modern linguistics due to the increasing demand in examining the ways to make a proper impact on the target audience. The main purpose of the article is to explore the ways to create perlocutionary effect in public service advertising by virtue of such stylistic device as pun. The significance of public service advertising in the life of society is determined by the growing necessity to change behavioral patterns in people of today. Public service advertising employs the continuous sampling method and this kind of advertising covers the broadest audience through the internet. The achievement of perlocutionary effect by means of pun occurs through the variation of sense interpretation which is embedded in public service advertising message. Special attention in the article is given to the convergence of the stylistic device under consideration and visual constituent of advertising message since image in public service advertising frequently is even more important than its verbal component. This research is interdisciplinary in many respects as the phenomenon under consideration has its basics in linguistics, psychology and marketing. Eventually, the results of this research may be successfully put to use not only in further inquiry of stylistic devices which affect recipients' consciousness and mind but also serve as a guideline for marketing and advertising experts to create an effective public service advertisement.