A Multimodal Analysis of Pakistani Advertisements for Children's Clothing Brands

Advertisements, one of the important sources of entertainment and a powerful tool of communication and persuasion, bear rich meaning that is transmitted through its language, colors, setting, characters etc. The study seeks to uncover the underlying cultural narratives, gender representations, and marketing strategies employed by Pakistani brands. For this purpose, the study employs Kress and van Leeuwen’s (2006) multimodality theory to investigate how these advertisements utilize various modes such as visuals, language, and gestures to communicate messages and influence consumer behavior. For the qualitative study, 12 popular Pakistani Children’s clothing brands were targeted and 10 easily accessible advertisements of different Pakistani children’s clothing brands have been chosen randomly from Google images, respective brands’ websites and their social media handles. A descriptive approach has been used to analyze the data. The findings reveal that Pakistani children’s clothing brands advertisements use several multimodal elements including vibrant visuals, traditional language, and playful gestures, thus reinforcing cultural narratives of family and social harmony, traditional gender roles and creating an emotional connection with consumers. The findings contribute to understanding the complexities of advertising in the context of Pakistani culture and provide insights into the dynamics of consumerism in children's apparel.