The persuasive article, Why We Should Give A Fcuk About Advertising Standards by Clive Hamilton is critical of the advertising standards or lack thereof in the modern age and aims to persuade the readers to be in support of his argument that the ‘Fcuk’ (French Connection UK) campaign should be boycotted due to its explicit nature. Hamilton incorporated techniques such as a variation of language styles, inclusivity and emotive language to convince the Australian audience that censorship should be taken more seriously.
Hamilton’s varying choice of language is an effective technique as it appeals to all sorts of readers thus having the ability to persuade a more diverse audience. His sparing use of colloquial language appeals to a wider range of people rather than an article aimed purely at intellects. The author uses words such as “fuddy-duddy” or, “lickspittles” which appeals to the average reader and also to the Australian people in which he targets for this terminology is commonly used by older generation Australians who would perhaps feel more strongly about this matter. On the other hand, formal language is also an effective technique that is used in order to gain the support of the audience as the reader will feel that the opinion of a person with a doctorate, such as Clive Hamilton, is far more valid than that of an uneducated individual. It is important to have a balance of both colloquial and formal language in a persuasive text as too much of either will result in an ineffective piece.
Inclusivity can be used effectively as a way to influence the readers’ response to the text in support of the author’s argument. Clive Hamilton writes, “I’m sure that I am not alone in feeling concerned.” The use of inclusivity gives a voice to the voiceless in a sense, as perhaps the reader was originally in support of Hamilton’s argument but was never given the chance to voice