International Journal of Language & Linguistics

A Social Semiotic Interpretation of Corporate Image Advertising in the Nigerian Oil Industry
Ethan Ercharu Faith, Owoeye T. Samuel, Labiran Opeoluwa, Sogunle Tolulope

Abstract
The study of the language of the oil industry dissected from a semiotic perspective has been consigned to the background and examined from other perspectives like nominalization and lexis translation, thus, making the research knowledge permeable. The oil industry which is the economic foundation of Nigeria requires linguistic intervention to comprehend the style options made available to the industry in terms of its use of specialized language and semiotic modes in reaching their target audience. This study identified and analyzed the visual and linguistic components associated with the selected corporate advertisements disseminated by two organizations in the Nigeria oil industry; Oando and MRS Oil to realize how these resources convey meanings. The data of the study are five online visual advertisements analyzed using the visual grammar framework proposed by Kress and van Leeuwen (2006). The study considers how various modes work together to enhance meaning potential and appeal to the mind of stakeholders associated to each oil company and their identity. Findings show that the use of conceptual and symbolic images and salient features embodies the industry’s strategic objectives and corporate image. The study concludes that corporate adverts function as an advertising instrument to promote organizations beyond their products by incorporating their corporate identity.

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