Abstract
Language, which can be considered the most important and complete means of human communication, has an undeniable role in the media landscape. Today, commercial advertising has become an inseparable part of societies. This study examines the representation discourse referents in commercial advertisements based on Lambrecht's informational structure framework. For this purpose288 advertisements from various fields were selected, and different types of discourse referents active, inactive, and semi-active were analyzed. The data collection method involved both library and field research, and the study was conducted using a descriptive-analytical approach Based on the results, discourse referents in television and internet advertisements are identifiable as semi-active situationally. In radio advertising, which is an auditory medium, these instances are recognized as semi-active and textually accessible. Discourse referents in posters and billboards are identifiable as semi-active situationally and sometimes semi-active and textually accessible. Inactive discourse referents are also observed in radio advertisements and promotional billboards. The findings indicate that the Lambrecht approach in the analyzed advertisements demonstrates effective utility and can enhance communication with the audience. The results of this research can be useful for researchers and experts in communication sciences, practitioners in the advertising field, and language researchers.
Keywords: discourse referents, information structure, commercial advertising, Lambrecht.
 
Introduction
Language, as the most sophisticated human communication tool, plays a critical role in media. Advertising is a core aspect of modern communication and relies on effective linguistic strategies to influence consumer behavior. Lambrecht’s information structure theory accounts for the distribution of propositional meaning, cognitive accessibility, and pragmatic functions like topic and focus. This study aims to examine how different types of discourse referents (active, semi-active, inactive) are realized across various advertising.
 
Materal & Methods
Lambrecht (1994) defines Information Structure as a component of sentence grammar that organizes how propositions are packaged based on the speaker's assumptions about the listener's mental state. Unlike purely syntactic or semantic analyses, his model is highly pragmatic and cognitive, focusing on how language users manage discourse referents in real-time communication.At the core of this theory are three key concept Propositional Information – the meaning or assertion a sentence conveys.Mental Activation of Referents – how cognitively accessible an entity is for the listener.Topic-Focus Articulation – the division of a sentence into what is being talked about (topic) and what is being said about it (focus).Discourse referents—expressions that point to entities in the world or discourse—are categorized in Active (currently in focus and easily retrievable),Semi-active (recently mentioned or contextually accessible), and Inactive (stored in long-term memory, requiring reactivation).Lambrecht introduces three types of accessibility for semi-active referents:Situationally accessible (e.g., visually present in the scene)Textually accessible (introduced in prior discourse), and Inferentially accessible (retrieved via background knowledge).Syntactic forms correspond to these categories: zero forms or unstressed pronouns signal active referents, while full noun phrases often mark inactive ones. This gradation reflects how grammar and cognition interactFurthermore, topic is not always the grammatical subject but the referent the sentence is about, often associated with given or presupposed information, whereas focus introduces new, contrastive, or emphasized content. This distinction is central in advertising, where manipulating focus helps attract attention and deliver persuasive content.A corpus of 288 commercial advertisements from diverse domains (e.g., food, cosmetics, insurance, mobile services) was selected. Ads were categorized by medium and analyzed using descriptive-analytical methods. The activation status of referents and their distribution in topic and focus domains were identified using Lambrecht’s model.
 
Discaussin & Resuit
The corpus analysis of 288 advertisements shows that semi-active referents are the most prevalent across all media formats, especially those that are situationally accessible. These referents typically arise through visual context, such as images in TV and internet ads, allowing the audience to easily recognize them without explicit linguistic introduction.Television and Internet Advertisements: These frequently use visual storytelling and contextual cues. Referents such as products, users, or settings become cognitively accessible through imagery. These are classified as semi-active, situationally accessible, and often occupy the focus domain, drawing the viewer's attention.Radio Advertisements: In contrast, the absence of visuals leads to heavier reliance on textually accessible referents. These are introduced and reinforced through speech, requiring more explicit linguistic forms like definite noun phrases or repetitions to maintain clarity.Posters and Billboards. Depending on whether imagery is present, referents vary between situationally accessible and textually accessible. When only slogans are used, the referents tend to be inactive or newly introduced.Topic-Focus Distribution: The data shows that focus domains dominate in commercial ads, reflecting the goal of emphasizing product benefits or novel ideas. Referents in topic positions are fewer and often relate to backgrounded or presupposed information.Referent Realization: Semi-active referents mostly appear as definite noun phrases, while inactive ones are realized through full, often emphasized noun groups. Active referents, such as unstressed pronouns, are rarely used, likely due to the need for clarity in mass communication.Overall, the analysis supports the claim that the linguistic realization of referents is tightly linked to the medium’s modality and communicative function. Lambrecht’s framework allows for a systematic explanation of these choices, revealing how ads are crafted to manage attention, accessibility, and persuasion efficiently.
 
 
 
 
Conclusion
This study has demonstrated that Lambrecht’s (1994) theory of Information Structure offers a powerful framework for analyzing the linguistic construction of commercial advertisements. By focusing on the activation states of discourse referents categorized as active, semi-active, and inactive and their distribution across various media, the research reveals a strong correlation between referent accessibility and media modality.One of the most significant findings is the dominance of semi-active referents, particularly those that are situationally accessible, in advertisements that include visual elements such as television, internet, posters, and billboards. These referents are cognitively available to the audience due to visual context or narrative cues, and therefore do not require explicit linguistic introduction. This enables advertisers to maintain conciseness while still effectively delivering the message.In contrast, in radio advertisements, where visuals are absent, textually accessible referents are more common. These referents must be explicitly introduced and maintained in the discourse using full noun phrases or repetitions, ensuring the audience can track the referents without visual support. Moreover, inactive referents, though less frequent, appear mainly in audio and static visual formats, reflecting their need for strong linguistic marking to be understood.A second important finding concerns the topic-focus distribution of referents. The data shows that referents overwhelmingly appear in the focus domain, aligning with the persuasive and promotional goals of advertisements. Focused elements often convey the “new” or “highlighted” content typically the product or its feature while topics, representing “given” information, are used less frequently.Furthermore, the study confirms that there is no strict one-to-one mapping between the grammatical form and the cognitive status of referents. Although certain patterns exist such as pronouns for active referents and definite noun phrases for semi-active ones the actual usage varies depending on context, intention, and medium.These insights underscore the practical utility of Lambrecht’s model for applied discourse analysis. It provides a systematic method to dissect how meaning is structured, how cognitive accessibility is managed, and how focus is strategically used in commercial language to guide audience attention and facilitate comprehension.Ultimately, the findings suggest that strategically activating referents in semi-active or focus positions enhances the clarity, memorability, and persuasive force of advertising messages. Advertisers can improve communication efficiency and audience engagement by consciously organizing discourse structure according to cognitive principles.This research not only contributes to the field of linguistic pragmatics and discourse analysis but also holds practical value for professionals in media, marketing, and communication studies. By bridging linguistic theory and real-world application, it opens avenues for further exploration of how language shapes consumer perception and behavior across different genres and platforms.