Language-Mixing in French Print Advertising

<jats:p> This article examines the use of English in French magazine advertisements from a linguistic and legal perspective. Following an overview of language policy planning in France, French–English mixing in recent advertising copy is described in terms of both bilingual creativity and strategies used to circumvent the 1994 Toubon Law restricting the use of English in the media. This study provides evidence that, despite this legislation, the French advertising industry is continuing to exploit English as both a lingua franca in international campaigns and a pair-language for mixing that has been specifically tailored to French audiences. This ‘Frenglish’ mix involves various linguistic strategies, including bilingual hybridization, orthographic modifications, functional conversion and ‘visual glossing’, among others. The impact of globalization on French advertising discourse is also explored with specific reference to information technology and business terminology. The data presented suggests that Paris agencies are supplying French translations for slogans in compliance with the law while continuing, at the same time, to insert non-translated English in various stages of assimilation in their advertising copy. Despite the government's effort to curb the spread and influence of English in the media, the French advertising landscape continues to reflect consumers’ ever-evolving linguistic behaviour and global trends. </jats:p>