If a text is multimodal it will have other features that contribute towards the language and purpose of the text. For example, text can be accompanied by images, videos and speech. Examples of texts that often use multimodal language are newspapers, online articles, social medias, televised reports etc.
Over the weekend we were set to individually look for examples of written language with spoken features about them (such as adverts on billboards and writing on T-shirts). Later on in lessons we shared our ideas with other groups in the class.
A common example of the way that written language used multimodality to enhance language was through synthetic personalisation. This method gives the expression that the implied writer (the company promoting a product) knows something about you - which is a persuasive technique as you become more comfortable with that concept and are more likely to purchase their product. Synthetic personalisation can be seen as multimodal as it gives the general idea that the text is in spoken form (as if someone is actually speaking to you).
Examples of texts found that used synthetic personalisation are :
"Welcome coffee lovers!" - Costa Coffee
"Share a coke with ..." - CocaCola
"Because you're worth it" - L'Oreal
"It's your street. Own it ..." - Harley Davidson
These examples all use synthetic personalisation through the use of second person pronouns and determiners such as you, your and you're. Also through the word 'welcome' as it gives the false impression that the person knows you well.
However, not all determiners and second person pronouns are used as synthetic personalisation, and if someone does not feel that these words are personally speaking to them then they are most likely not the target audience.
Another way that the texts we found that texts were multimodal was through the use of exaggeration in a way that it would not be used in normal written language. For example :
"It'll blow your mind" - Burger King
"Water never tasted so good"
"Taste the rainbow" - Skittles
"You can't get any more Ribenary" - Ribena
There were also other examples of written texts that played on sound (Frosties - "They're grrrreat" as the promotion for Frosties cereal is through the character of a cartoon tiger), used slang, misspelled words and words that were not in the dictionary ( such as Boots used the word "bootiful" in one of their advertisements)
The way that these texts captivate their audience is very important. For example, Costa's "Welcome coffee lovers" is very clear on who their target audience is - coffee lovers - as it personally adresses them in the text. Therefore, it is unlikely that someone who does not like coffee would take any interest in this text or the product being advertised.
Similarly, you could argue that Skittles text "taste the rainbow" and Frosties "they're grrreat" both use a play on words to captivate their target audience; which would most likely be younger children. Frosties does this using a play on sound with 'grrreat' and skittles may do this using the word 'rainbow' as it gives connotations of bright and happy colours that may be appealing to their target audiencce.
