Pappa ICA har något att berätta för sin ICA-familj : En språkvetenskaplig undersökning om hur ICA-Stig genom intimisering, intertextualitet och retoriska övertalningsmedel övertygar oss att handla på ICA

Sammanfattning: The aim with this essay is to map down how the language plays a part in the persuasion carried out by ICA-Stig – one of the most beloved characters from ICA’s commercial soap opera. Through a discourse analysis with a linguistic focus this study can provide one explanation to why the audience trust ICA-Stig and how he persuades them to do their grocery shopping at ICA. The study takes off from the rhetorical means of persuasion, ethos, logos and pathos, along with how ICA-Stig commits a linguistic intimisation and exploits intertextual strategies in order to approach the audience and their reality. The result shows that Stig uses personal pronouns in a way that enables him to commence intimisation in the sense of addressing his co-workers and the audience in a family-like manner. Regarding intertextuality, Stig uses a composition of different discourses in favour of his character since he is able to reach a large audience whilst nourishing the personal touch, combined with proving himself credible. Through his language, ICA-Stig reduces the gap between non-fiction and fiction, and in his transcendent role he becomes a factive character – neither real nor fictive.  This role allows him to become self-aware, which gives him an outside perspective on commercials in general. From a rhetorical perspective, the intimisation and intertextuality function as to have ICA-Stig relate to the reality, habits, and experiences of the audience. This creates the situation that Daddy-ICA has something to say to his ICA-family, which becomes the premise on which the commercial is founded. The intimisation enhances ICA-Stig’s ethos since he can prove to be a caring father and a knowledgeable shop manager. The appeals to pathos lie within his caring language. Appeals to logos can be found in the product placement of the groceries in an environment very much reminiscent of reality and everyday-life. Finally, the essay problematises the role commercial has and plays in today’s society due to the fact that this discourse is approaching the discourse of private life and communication, which, in turn,  paves the way for new ways of persuading the costumers.