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Advertising industry secrets revealed in inaugural lecture

14 August 2025 | Story Gerda Marié van Rooyen | Photo Stephen Collett

In her inaugural lecture on 5 August 2025, Prof Angelique van Niekerk emphasised that linguistic choices in persuasive communication, specifically advertising communication, carry ideological implications. This is referred to as ‘linguistic capital’, which includes all the language instruments available to a competent language practitioner and/or copywriter.

The inaugural lecture, titled ’n Kulturele en psigolinguistiese perspektief op hoe 'n wêreldbeskouing beïnvloed word aan die hand van advertensiekommunikasie: 1995-2025 (A cultural and psycholinguistic perspective on how a worldview is influenced based on advertising communication: 1995-2025), offered an overview of some of her published research concerning the use of different linguistic instruments within the disciplines, such as syntax, sociolinguistics, morphology, semantics, pragmatics, etc.

Prof Van Niekerk, a lecturer in the Department of Afrikaans and Dutch, German and French at the University of the Free State (UFS), also elaborated on aspects such as nostalgia, controversy, intertextuality, identity, etc., from her research within applied linguistics, based on Afrikaans and English print advertisements.

The lecture concluded with examples from Afrikaans magazines and archives of the Loerie and Pendoring advertisements from 2020 onwards. These examples illustrated the importance of cultural congruence and intellectual challenge (play) in an effective (good) advertisement.

“Recent examples (data) emphasise the importance of social issues as a point of reference; that with which the speaker (marketer) and audience (target market) identify – their good cause,” said Prof Van Niekerk. She referred to significant patterns from recent South African print advertising, stating that South African advertisements involve inclusivity, interactivity through the use of web addresses, QR codes, etc., acknowledgement of the market’s heritage/roots, cultural norms, etc., social consciousness, and a world without pretentiousness.

Prestigious attendees

In attendance was Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation, who welcomed the attendees in Afrikaans. He described the event not only as a ceremonial right, but also as the celebration of a milestone, the sharing of knowledge, a goal, and setting the course for the future. “This (the inaugural lecture) is a joyous occasion, especially because it coincides with the official centenary of Afrikaans.”

Prof Marlize Rabe, acting Dean of The Humanities and Vice-Dean: Teaching and Learning, introduced the star of the evening and highlighted some of Prof Van Niekerk's academic achievements, including a PhD in Afrikaans and Dutch and a master’s degree in Communication Sciences (cum laude), as well as a C rating from the National Research Foundation, underlining her contribution to academic research.

The final word of the evening belonged to Head of Department, Dr Francois Smith. “It is significant how you have proved how applied linguistics can get a grip on who and what we are and how we shape our world through language. Science allows us to take a step back and contemplate how language gives us the leverage to take hold of our world. This lecture underscores that our work is of value and has something to offer the world, because language can widen borders and gives us a way to look at the future.”

Vakmanskap van advertensiewese in intreerede bespreek

Prof Angelique van Niekerk, dosent in die Departement Afrikaans en Nederlands, Duits en Frans, het gedurende haar intreerede op 5 Augustus 2025 beklemtoon dat taalpraktyk, oftewel taalkeuse, in oorredende en spesifiek advertensiekommunikasie ideologiese implikasie inhou. Daar word hierna verwys as ‘linguistiese kapitaal’ en sluit in al die taalverwante instrumente in die hand van ŉ vaardige taalpraktisyn (kopieskrywer).

Prof Van Niekerk het in haar intreerede, getitel ’n Kulturele en psigolinguistiese perspektief op hoe 'n wêreldbeskouing beïnvloed word aan die hand van advertensiekommunikasie: 1995-2025, eerstens ’n oorsig gebied van die navorsing wat sy reeds gedoen het oor die funksionele aanwending van die verskillende taalinstrumente binne die teoretiese dissiplines soos sintaksis, sosiolinguistiek, morfologie, semantiek, pragmatiek, ens.

Daarna het sy ’n oorsig gebied uit die toegepaste linguistiek (in Afrikaans en Engels) op grond van Suid-Afrikaanse advertensiekommunikasie. Die gebruik van aspekte soos nostalgie, kontroversie, intertekstualiteit, identiteit, ens. in die advertensiewese is juis om hierdie rede op data van 1995-2025 geskoei. Prof Van Niekerk het haar intreerede afgesluit met voorlopige insigte oor die aard van gedrukte advertensiekommunikasie uit datastelle sedert veral 2020 (Afrikaanse tydskrifte, advertensies uit die Pendoring- en Loerie-argief).

Die belangrikheid van kulturele kongruensie en intellektuele uitdaging (spel) in ŉ goeie/ doeltreffende advertensie – soos ook aangedui deur Gevorgyana en Manucharovab (2015) – is ook uitgelig. Onlangse advertensies (datastelle) blyk die belangrikheid te toon van sosiale kwessies as verwysingspunt; dit waarmee die spreker en ontvanger identifiseer (jou good cause).

Die patroonmatigheid en opvallendhede uit meer onlangse Suid-Afrikaanse advertensies is uitgelig. Plaaslike advertensies behels multi-identiteite en ŉ (ras)-inklusiewe samelewing waarin tale saam gebruik en afgewissel word binne een teks/konteks; verhoogde interaktiwiteit deur webadresse, QR-kodes, ens.; erkenning van die teikenmark se herkoms, sosiale bewustheid (bv. genderregte en omgewingsbewaring) en ’n wêreld gestroop van valse skyn.

Vooraanstaande gaste

Prof Vasu Reddy, Adjunk-Visekanselier: Navorsing en Internasionalisering, het die gehoor in Afrikaans verwelkom. Hy het die geleentheid nie bloot as ŉ seremoniële reg beskryf nie, maar ook as die viering van ’n mylpaal, die deel van kennis, ŉ doelwit en as padkaart vir die toekoms. “Dit (die intreerede) is ’n vreugdevolle gebeurtenis, veral omdat dit saamval met die amptelike eeufeesviering van Afrikaans.”

Prof Marlize Rabe, waarnemende Dekaan van die Fakulteit Geesteswetenskappe en Visedekaan: Onderrig en Leer, het die ster van die aand aan die gehoor bekendgestel en sommige van haar akademiese prestasies uitgelig. Dit sluit in ŉ PhD in Afrikaans en Nederlands en ’n meestersgraad (cum laude) in Kommunikasiewetenskap, sowel as ‘n C-gradering van die Nasionale Navorsingstigting wat prof Van Niekerk se bydrae tot akademiese navorsing staaf.

Die laaste woord van die aand het aan die Departementshoof, dr Francois Smith, behoort. “Dit is besonders hoe jy gewys het hoe toegepaste linguistiek ons ’n greep kan gee op wie en wat ons is en ons wêrelde skep deur taal, hoe ons verlei en verlok word. Wetenskap laat ons terugtree en sien hoe taal gebruik word en ons ’n vashouplek gee. Dis ’n bevestiging dat ons wetenskap en loopbane iets bied aan die wêreld waarin ons is. Taal is ’n manier om ons wêreld te verbreed, grense oop te maak en ’n manier te gee om na die toekoms te kyk.”

News Archive

Johann Naudé talks at first Beyers Naudé lecture for 2012

2012-08-02

At the event were, from the left: Ms Bontle Senne, Managing Director for the PUKU Children’s Literature Foundation, Mr Sipho Hlongwane, writer and columnist for the Daily Maverick, Prof. Nicky Morgan, Vice-Rector: Operations at the UFS, Mr Themba Mola, Chief Operations Officer at Kagiso Trust, Mr Johann Naudé, son of Dr Beyers Naudé, and Dr Choice Makhetha, Vice-Rector: External Relations.
Photo: Stephen Collett
2 August 2012

The University of the Free State (UFS) together withKagiso Trust, presented the first Beyers Naudé lecture for 2012 on its South Campus in Bloemfontein last week. Speakers like Dr Wilmot James, Member of Parliament, Mr Johann Naudé, son of Dr Beyers Naudé, Mr Sipho Hlongwane, writer and columnist for the Daily Maverick and Ms Bontle Senne, Managing Director for the PUKU Children’s Literature Foundation, all gave a lecture around this year’s theme: Collaborative partnerships for social cohesion: Building a nation with ethics.

Dr Beyers Naudé played a major role in the formation of Kagiso Trust. His contribution to the trust and the fight against oppression in South Africa, as well as his challenging of the establishment from which he came, makes him one of South Africa’s courageous heroes. Kagiso Trust thus saw it fit to celebrate the life of this clerical activist through a Memorial Lecture The Beyers Naudé Memorial Lecture is an effort by the Trust to engage South Africans into a dialogue about issues affecting our nation.

Mr Johann Naudé talked about the lessons they as children learnt from their parents as well as his father’s decision to respond to the needs of the people in South Africa. Even before the Sharpeville Massacre, Dr Naudé began a self-transformation that led to his rejection of apartheid. “Apartheid had no theological or scriptural grounds and my father decided to resign from the church. After that, he started to talk openly against apartheid and he also paid the price for that. For seven years he was under house arrest and we as his children also felt the effect of his decision. At the University of Pretoria in a residence where I stayed as a student I was called in and told that I would be treated as an outcast. Loans and jobs were also closed for us as children and as a result, we all started our own businesses,” Mr Naudé said.

“Furthermore, our parents taught us to believe in ourselves. He also said we have rights and we can only demand those rights if we take the responsibility that goes with it. My father also taught us to honour and to respect our fellow men, elderly people and the culture of people different from us. We were also taught to apologise for the wrongs to our fellow men and to acknowledge earnestly that we were wrong.”

Dr Wilmot James said that there were two things consistent in the life of Dr Beyers Naudé, namely justice and fairness. “There are many Nelson Mandelas and Beyers Naudés out there. It is the responsibility of political parties and institutions to motivate such leadership. We must ask ourselves: Are my actions and decisions ethical and will they have fair consequences?” Dr James said.

Mr Hlongwane focused his presentation on the ethics part of the theme. He said: “We in South Africa fall very short of ethics. We can start by respecting each other and taking care of one another. The Constitution will not mean a thing if we fail to respect and trust one another. We will have no cohesive society if we continue to treat those different from us like dirt. It is also our ethical duty to build up the disadvantaged.

In her discussion, Ms Senne emphasised the role of the youth in South Africa. “Our youth is failing our state because our state is failing our youth. Their role is to bring cohesion and acts of courageousness to the table. For them to contribute in a practical and sustainable manner, they need to start making the changes they want to see in society. They are young people and they can make it work because they do have access to the necessary means (social networks) to get things done. They must get involved,” she said.

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