This study offers an analysis of the linguistic devices that are used in advertisements, looking at the strategems which advertisers employ to gain and retain the attention of their audience. Using relevance theory as a framework, the work sets out its key aspects and applies them to the language of written advertising in Britain and Japan. Particular emphasis is placed on covert communication, puns and metaphors - the book contains a unique chapter on images of women in Japanese advertising. The text includes recent advertisements drawn from the two countries for comparison and contrast.

An analysis of the ways advertisers use language to gain and retain the attention of their audience, with particular emphasis on puns and metaphors. The book contains a chapter on images of women in Japanese advertising and contrasts British and Japanese advertising, subsequently revealing insights into these two cultures.