Peugeot–“motion and emotion” the language of license plates as an advertising medium and its connection with Israeli society

ABSTRACT In urban centers, many residents commute to work and are exposed to visual input displayed on cars around them. License plates become a space utilized by advertisers to display advertising messages. This is an instance of the presence of language in the public space, or the linguistic landscape of an area. The purpose of the present study is to analyze linguistic and visual elements of license plates in the Israeli linguistic landscape. The study positions the license plates as a medium that conveys messages reflecting Israeli society and culture. We focus on the advertising texts on license plate frames and examine the messages they carry about the car and the car owner. Through a content analysis of such texts, findings point to varied linguistic-visual elements in the license plates from a linguistic landscape perspective, such as the presence of languages and the flag, including the empowerment of the car company and the car itself, the driving experience, driver’s superiority and dream realization, and the personal relationships between the driver and the car. We conclude that today cars are not only vehicles taking us from place to place, but are also associated with power, emotion, freedom, superiority, and self-expression.