MULTIMODAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION IN SELECTED NIGERIAN MAGAZINE ADS

This study examines how multimodal elements in selected Nigerian magazine advertisements shape identity construction. Using purposive sampling, ten brand advertisements were selected from three Nigerian magazines, Accomplish Magazine, This Day Style and Nigerian Showcase Magazine, as they contained explicit brand identity elements such as logos, slogans and visual symbols. The adverts were analysed using Kress and van Leeuwen’s (2006) visual grammar framework, with attention to the representational, interactive and compositional metafunctions. The findings reveal that advertisers construct brand identity through the strategic orchestration of linguistic choices, colour schemes, participant gaze, gestures, social distance and camera angles. Colours evoke emotional and cultural associations that align with brand values, while gaze and gestures establish intimacy, authority or aspiration. Camera distance and angles further shape power relations between the viewer and the brand. The study concludes that identity construction in Nigerian magazine advertisements is dynamic and context-driven, relying on the interplay of visual and verbal resources to reflect cultural values, social aspirations and contemporary lifestyles.