Greetings such as ‘Hey, Bro/Sis…’ are uncommon in advertising messages and may not always be appropriate. Nevertheless, expressions that deviate from traditional norms can serve as effective communication tools when applied thoughtfully and in the right context.
What lies beneath the word slang?
According to the Lithuanian language dictionary, slang is distorted language that differs from standard language mainly in vocabulary and phraseology. In other words, slang vocabulary is a colloquial language of a specific nature used by certain groups of people united by common interests, such as students, doctors, hairdressers, or even criminals. And the narrower the circle of communication, the more isolated it is from society, the more slang is felt in the language.
Almost everyone is familiar with dozens of slang words, such as: fainas, čatinti, taginti, fifti fifti, and so on. Sometimes they can correspond to words in standard language but have a completely different meaning. For example, one meaning of the word agurkas in slang is ‘police officer’, and the word gimdyti (‘to give birth’) is often used today to describe the creative process: išgimdžiau šiaip ne taip tą tekstą (‘I somehow gave birth to that text’). However, most of the slang expressions common in the Lithuanian language are words of Russian or English origin, called assimilated borrowings. However, one can also notice shortened or sometimes morphologically altered international words, such as egzas.
Make me a vizūlkę… but make it stiliovą (stylish)…
Why do we use jargon in the first place? For many, it happens naturally. It’s hard to imagine how in an advertising agency, people would use the term public relations specialists ten times a day – sometimes it’s much easier to say piarščikai (PR guys). Maybe it doesn’t adorn professional language, but it proves that living people, not programmed robots, speak it.
In advertising, jargon not only enlivens the language but also serves other functions. It seeks to attract and maintain the attention of a specific audience, give the message originality, strengthen the impression, or even shock the recipient. After all, sometimes, by using the standard equivalent of a non-standard term, the desired advertising effect would simply be lost.
Although jargon is presented as undesirable in communication, the functional style of the text should be taken into account. It’s doubtful whether a scientific article, in which the author of the study is presented as an afigėnas kentas (‘bigwig’), would be positively evaluated by the academic community. However, advertising is attributed to free functional styles, so here, jargon can exist. The next question is its motivation. In other words, whether there were / are serious reasons to use jargon in a particular advertisement, what was the purpose of such usage. Linguists, studying the language of advertisements, often strongly condemn jargon, questioning its motivation. However, standing on the side of advertising creators, the motivation for using jargon seems unquestionable.
Must be timely and appropriate
The desire to identify with the advertising recipient determines the tone of communication, so jargon is most often used in advertising when targeting a young audience. Often, a free and non-binding, sometimes humorous speech is chosen, supplemented by one or more slang expressions. Is it always justified? No Sometimes, the strong desire to be closer to the youth seems awkward and receives criticism from the youth themselves.
Nevertheless, sometimes the use of jargon in communication seems quite organic. One such example is the communication of Eneba startup, which was established in Lithuania a few years ago, bringing together gaming enthusiasts. It is aimed at an audience interested in computer games and their accessories, mostly young people. Eneba stands out with vivid, youthful ads, expressive visual solutions, so words like ‘deal’, ‘app’, or ‘game’ blend very smoothly into their advertising messages and do not contradict the image of either the company or the consumer. By using jargon, a closer connection with the audience is established, fostering trust.
Another example is the communication of the Pildyk brand, belonging to one of the most popular telecommunications companies in Lithuania, Tele2. For years, Pildyk has targeted a young audience, trying to offer the best plans for students and schoolchildren. The brand follows innovations and exploits communication platforms popular among teenagers, such as TikTok, creating content on its YouTube channel, and so on. The use of jargon in Pildyk communication is so extensive that it could almost constitute a separate dictionary. Consumers are accustomed to it, so they are no longer surprised to hear terms like gigs, thicc, and content in advertisements. On the contrary, if these words were heard in Tele2 advertisements targeting a completely different, broader, and slightly older audience, it would be surprising. This once again proves how important it is to differentiate who the message you are communicating is intended for.
Therefore, it can be confidently stated that timely and appropriate use of jargon sometimes becomes an excellent advertising tool. However, before sprinkling advertising text with jargon, it is worth considering whether such a communication tone will be suitable for your audience, whether your chosen lexicon will be motivated, and whether such disregard for language norms will not have negative consequences for your brand or company image in the future.