【正文】 ze the harm of smoking. If this advertisement follows the stereotype, it could hardly strike the smokers as ironic advertisements will do. Instead of conventional ways of persuasion, the advertiser in this case disobeys the regulation and advocates smoking under the name of American Cancer Society which would leave large room for the smokers to reflect. Irony would have less effect on the reader than plain language that is just persuading. It is clear that irony employed in this advertisement could make the audience feel amused and leave a lasting impression in the audience’s mind. Another example:(14) Children, hold your mother’s hand firmly, or you will get her lost!(Seen in children’s garden) This is an ironical utterance, and the humorous element is obvious in that the advertiser reverses the subject and object on purpose when designing this advertisement. This advertisement makes audience feel odd: why does the slogan warn children against losing mothers? After serious thinking, the audience would reach the optimal relevance, and then they are rewarded with a smile. Making advertisements briefThe last reason why the advertiser prefers irony is that they are brief. Humans always expect to achieve the best municative effect with the minimum processing. In some case, irony is also usually used in headlines or slogans, which should be memorable, and be brief, because advertising space is costly and economy is essential. The slogans or headlines should be characterized by brief for easy memory. According to statistics, a headline with six or twelve words can always achieve the best promotion effects. For this purpose, advertisers try to design in as few words as possible. The following examples are collected for the purpose of analysis. (15) Obey your thirst——SpriteIt contains only 3 words, which bring the contextual effect quite well. It gets people to be interested in the product and hence to buy it. The intended and the literal message clearly stand in opposition to each other, which, first of all, is a way to attract the attention of the audience and is brief whereas impressive and powerful. And then, this mismatch message will guide the audience to rely on the mutuality to recognize the irony in this advertisement and deeply impress them. However, it might lead to ambiguity owing to limited message. When the amount of the message is too small, it is likely to produce ambiguity.From the above analysis of irony in advertising, the author proves that irony is a popular device with advertising designers. Ironic device can appeal to its prospective consumers because of its humor and intelligence. The audience, of course, will be amused and impressed, during which the audience’s attention can be captured. Irony in advertisements has three functions: making advertisements attractive。 making advertisements humorous。 making advertisements brief. Furthermore, irony can help the advertiser improve relationship with his consumers. The audiences may enjoy the wit, humor or honesty so much that it helps overe their distrust of the advertiser. The advertiser39。s choice of irony is a choice of styles, to pursuit the best result of the advertisement. Specifically speaking, the advertiser39。s choice of irony is based on the evaluation of the audience39。s abilities and considerations of the characteristics of products. Clearly, it is these assumptions that force the advertiser39。s choices of styles. Advertiser chooses irony to give the audience the information that is consistent with the principle of relevance.4. Conclusion To sum up, advertising is a special kind of munication. The purpose of advertising determines the trust and cooperation between the advertiser and his audience. In order to achieve the goal of persuading and influencing, the advertiser firstly should attract the audience’s attention. So, employing metaphors, puns and ironies is the most popular way. These three devices are very important for the audience, because they can attract the audience’s attention and persuade them to purchase. This thesis analyzes the interpretation process of metaphor, pun and irony to help the audience to understand the intended meaning of advertisement. These three rhetorical devices not only attract audience’s attention but also serve to retain their attention by involving them in the interpretation process.In the introduction part, two questions have been put forward: how can advertising arouse consumers’ interest and make consumers desire to buy the products? How can advertising convince consumers that they need the product, and rush to buy it? Through the case study and rhetorical analysis of the whole article, the above two questions are answered. Due to the insufficiency of time and onhand resources, there are some limitations in this thesis. But a conclusion is achieved: with the help of rhetorical devices, the charm of the language used in advertisements can be better demonstrated and appreciated. ReferencesBooth,W., Rhetoric of Irony. Chicago. Chicago: University Press, 1974.Bovee, C. L. and W. Arens. Contemporary Advertising. Boston: Richard D. Irwin, lnc., 1992.Dyer,G. Advertising as Communication. London. Routledge,1982.Geis, M. L. The Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistic. Oxford: Pergamon Press, 1994.Li Xinhua. Pun: Its classification，different meanings and double contexts. Journal of Sichuan International Studies University. Sichuan: Sichuan International Studies University Press, 6(2000).Mcmahan, Elizabeth. The Features of Rhetoric. . Hobbs Ed. The Writer’s Rhetoric and Handbook. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1980.Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2004:1492寧建新. 陳觀亞. 實用廣告英語. 河南人民出版社. 1997.秦秀白. 文體學(xué)概論. 湖南: 湖南出版社, 1986.趙靜. 廣告英語. 外語教學(xué)與研究出版社. 1993.22