Usage of rhetorical figures in advertising slogans

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to investigate the usage of rhetorical figures in Bulgarian advertising
slogans. The research method includes gathering randomly selected advertising slogans in three media –
magazines, internet and TV. The slogans in the sample came from the following categories: Foodstuffs;
Drinks; Automobiles, Airlines, Gas stations, and Bus lines; Banks and Insurance companies; Chain
Stores and Shopping Centers; Technology and Communications; Clothing and cosmetics; Tourism;
Other product categories. Our results show that the most popular figures of thought in Bulgarian
advertising slogans are as follows: metaphor, exclamation, antithesis, hyperbole, and aposiopesis. On
the other hand, the most frequently used figures of speech are the following: appeal, epithet, and
anaphora.