A Study on Banking Advertisements in Turkish TV Channels

Advertisements are one of the most influential means of increasing a company’s share in the overall market. They employ several cultural values so as to shape people’s purchase habit and create a positive attitude toward advertized products. Thus, this study investigated the verbal content of banking advertisements with a focus on cultural values they presented. The data were elicited from TV advertisements telecasted on Turkish TV channels throughout 2012. The study found that the common method used in the advertisements was to set a pessimistic scene in which advertized products appeared as a panacea. Furthermore, it yielded several cultural values, some of which were rigorously promoted while others were criticized in some way. These comprised collectivism, familial relations, patriarchy, patriotism, religious values, social conventions, wisdom on the one hand, and achievement, competitiveness, consumption, distrust, easy life, globalization, hedonism and individualism on the other. Finally, this study revealed that the traditional versus modern dichotomy constituted a prevalent conflict in Turkish society.