Advertising Language as a Constructive Force in Shaping Consumer Perceptions and Actions: A Pragmatic Approach

Abstract

The widespread use of online loan services in Indonesia has intensified competition in promotional strategies, particularly through digital advertising. In this context, advertising language functions not only as a medium for conveying information but also as a persuasive intrument that frames the reality of financial services and influences audience attitudes and potential actions. This study aims to identify the types of speech acts employed in online loan advertisements and to analyze the illocutionary functions and potential perlocutionary effects of promotional utterances based on Searle’s speech act classification. A descriptive qualitative design with a pragmatic approach was employed. The data consist of utterances drawn from six advertisements of AdaKami online loan service, collected through observation and note-taking techniques. The results reveal that four types of illocutionary speech acts are present, namely representative, directive, expressive, and commissive. Representative and directive speech acts are the most dominant , functioning to frame service claims while encouraging the audience to take certain actions. Expressive and commissive speech acts complement the overal persuasive strategy by reinforcing emotional dimensions and conveyingimplicit commitments. These findings demonstrate that speech act theory is both relevant and applicable in analysis of digital online loan advertising discourse. Linguistically, the results illuminate how advertising language is strategically deployed to cultivate trust and a sense of urgency. Socially, the findings provide a critical understanding of the role of advertising language in shaping consumer perceptions and financial decision-making in Indonesia’s digital lending landscape.