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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

Childhood obesity should be curbed early

2017-03-15

Description: Child obesity Tags: Child obesity

Serious intervention by parents is required to deal
with childhood obesity. Prof Louise van den Berg and
a group of final-year PhD students worked on a study
about the prevalence of obesity in six-year-olds in
South Africa.
Photo: Supplied

If your child is overweight when they start school at the age of six, unless you do something about it at that point, the indications are they are going to be overweight teenagers and obese adults. This is according to University of the Free State’s Prof Louise van den Berg.

Evidence has shown that overweight children and teenagers have a greater risk of developing lifestyle diseases such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease later in life, and dying prematurely.

Obesity is a global pandemic rapidly spreading among adults and children, in developed and developing countries alike.

Dr Van den Berg worked with Keagan Di Ascenzo, Maryke Ferreira, Monja-Marie Kok, Anneke Lauwrens, all PhD students with the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, to conduct the study. Their research found that children who are overweight by the time they turn six should be screened for weight problems.

Why six-year-olds?
Children who are overweight between the ages of two and five are five times more likely to be overweight when they are 12. There are two periods in a normal life cycle when the body makes new fat cells. The first is in the uterus and the second is around the age of six. The second phase lasts from the age of six to puberty.

The study assessed the prevalence of obesity in six-year-olds as part of a campaign in South Africa to raise awareness of the problem among parents and educators.

A total of 99 children were chosen from seven schools in Mangaung, the capital city of Free State. The schools were chosen from quintile four and five schools, which when measured by their own resources and economic circumstances, are well resourced and serve largely middle-class and wealthy communities.

The children’s weight, height and waist circumference were measured and used to calculate a body mass index score and waist-to-height ratio. Both these figures are good predictors for future lifestyle disease risks such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. A person with a good waist-to-height ratio can wrap a piece of string equal to their height around their waist at least twice.

When the children had a higher body mass index, they also had an increased waist to height ratio. The study found one in four children from the schools surveyed were overweight when they started primary school.

Nipping the fat in the bud
Although there are many factors that play a role in preventing childhood obesity, parents’ perceptions of their children’s weight play an important role. A recent study found that more than 50% of parents underestimate the weight of their obese children. These parents remain unaware of the risks their children face and are not motivated to take any action.

At least half of the parents whose children are overweight struggle to recognise their children’s weight problems fearing that they will be labelled or stigmatised. By the time they turn six overweight children should be referred to dieticians and nutritionists who are qualified to guide their parents in getting them to eat well and be more physically active at pre-primary and primary school.

The high prevalence of weight problems among six-year-olds found in this study is an urgent call to healthcare professionals to step up and empower parents, educators and children with the necessary skills for healthy dietary practices and adequate physical activity.

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