A Multimodal Discourse Analysis of Housing Projects Advertisements in Pakistani Print Media

Due to the rise of urban housing societies in Pakistan, there has been a surge in housing projects advertisements in Pakistani print and electronic media in recent times. In this context, this paper studies the housing projects advertisements in Pakistani print media from the perspective of multimodal discourse analysis. The multimodal social semiotic approach inspired by Kress & Van Leeuwen (1996) has mainly been used to probe the construction of multiple layers of meaning on the basis of class consciousness, gender stereotyping, and the commodification of youth. This study examines ten (10) different advertisements of housing projects in magazines, newspapers, billboards, public promotion brochures to explore how these advertisements manipulate their customers into thinking to buy house in these housing projects to transform their lifestyle. The findings indicate the strong impact of elite class consciousness based upon exclusion, not inclusion. Moreover, the analysis also highlights the emphasis on traditional gender roles in these advertisements. On the whole, this study brings to light the evolving nature of housing projects advertisements in Pakistani print media.