FLOUTING MAXIMS IN THAI CAR ADVERTISEMENTS ON TELEVISION

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the use of Flouting Maxims in Thai car advertisements on Thai television by applying Herbert Paul Grice’s theories of Flouting Maxims and Conversational Implicature within his theory of the Cooperative Principle. The data consisted of 20 samples of Thai car advertisements broadcast on free Thai television channels from 2011to 2013. The data was collected from the website www.youtube.com, and www.ADintrend.com by selecting samples containing a conversation where a speaker fails to observe the Cooperative Principle by the flouting of Grice’s Conversational Maxims. The data was analyzed in terms of types of Maxims flouted, language techniques used in flouting the Maxims, and the purpose of flouting the Maxims. From the data analysis, all the Maxims were flouted. The Maxim of Manner was flouted by applying the language technique ‘Ambiguity.’ The Maxim of Quantity was flouted by applying the language technique ‘Repetition.’ The Maxim of Quality was flouted by applying the language technique ‘Personification’ and ‘Rhetorical Questions.’ The Maxim of Relation was flouted by applying the language technique ‘Evasive Response.’

The common purposes of flouting the Maxim of Manner were to call the audience’s attention to the advertisement and the product and also to express the surprise of audience at the product. The Maxim of Quantity was flouted to express wonder and to emphasize the brand name of products so that the audience could remember the brand name. In addition, the objectives of flouting the Maxim of Quality were to attract the audience’s attention to the product that was going to be introduced, to persuade the audience to buy the product, to express surprise, to express interest and to express wonder. Moreover, the purpose of flouting the Maxim of Relation was also to attract the audience’s attention to the product. Furthermore, it was found that flouting different types of maxims in the same advertisement occurred as well.