Abstract:
Advertisements play major role in unfirming product and services to the market. Celebrity endorser as
any individual who relished public credit and who uses recognition on behalf of a consumer good by appearing
with it in an advertisement. In today’s media cluttered environment where it is difficulty to grab consumer’s
attention. Celebrities develop a person through the type of roles they play in society as well as how they are
portrayed in the media. When celebrities endorse a product, the meaning developed around a particular
celebrity will transfer to a company, brand, or product. This study examined printed image advertisements via
Critical Discourse Analysis perspective. This study mainly focused on the Sinhala cultural identity in celebrity
endorsements employed by advertisers to influence their customers. This research followed Fairclough’s threedimensional framework. It demonstrates how the ideology of ‘cultural identity’ is produced and reproduced
through advertisements in popular printed advertisement materials. A qualitative critical discourse analysis was
done on 25 newspaper advertisements. Finding indicated that advertisers used various strategies to reach the
consumers through cultural identity. The advertisements, which promote Sinhala cultural identity, norms and
influence customers to a certain extent into believing whatever that is advertised is undeniably true. This study
revealed that the Sinhala cultural identity was considered as an advertising strategy by few producers for
positioning their products. Finding showed that cultural celebrity commendations as a means to exercise
control over the unique culture, but it can be seen in few advertisements, but it is recommended that the
producers and providers of services should consider the celebrity features, which set with the culture of the
consumer, to whom the company targets.
