Techniques of constructing credibility in advertising texts of the Tambov province at the beginning of the 20th century
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47475/2070-0695-2026-60-2-6-16Keywords:
advertising, reliability, provincial advertising, information verification, tadvertising techniquesAbstract
The article examines the level of information credibility and provides examples of legal regulation of advertising activities in the Tambov Governorate of the early 20th century, drawing on newspaper advertisements and posters. The theoretical framework of the study is based on a semiotic approach to advertising as a sign-communicative system and on the concept of the "poetics of everyday life," which enables the analysis of advertising texts as reflections of the sociocultural and economic realities of provincial life. The advertising industry of the period under study is represented by press advertisements and outdoor advertising. The aim of the research is to identify and systematize the semiotic techniques used to construct credibility in advertising texts from the Tambov Governorate of the early 20th century, as well as to analyze the legal mechanisms for verifying advertising information. To achieve these objectives, historical and philological methods of analysis were employed, along with a comparative analysis of advertisements, press materials, and posters from the period 1905–1917. The article examines specific cases of legal regulation concerning advertising information; it analyzes the use of transliteration and appeals to authority in different types of advertising. The research is based on historical sources, archival documents, surviving posters, and newspapers from the governorate. As a means of attracting an audience, advertising often contained exaggerated information regarding the qualities of products of foreign origin, creating illusions of advantages over competitors. In cases where false information was disseminated, local authorities intervened to address the legal dimension of the issue, while local brands shaped a specific image by employing various techniques for constructing credibility. The study reveals that in the early 20th century, a complex situation regarding trust in advertising information had developed in the Tambov Governorate. Certain brands used insufficiently verified facts, creating a negative information environment. At the same time, manufacturers who maintained high product quality strove for transparency and credibility in their advertising.
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