Using Vietnamese in advertising needs to be appropriate.

Advertising serves both as a sales tool and as a reflection of social life.

Authorities in Le Chan ward conducted inspections and confiscated illegal advertising signs and billboards on several central streets such as Ho Sen, To Hieu, and Lach Tray...

Advertising serves both as a sales tool and a reflection of social life. Therefore, preserving the purity of the Vietnamese language in advertising requires the involvement of regulatory agencies, professionals, and society as a whole.

The dangers of language abuse.

According to Nguyen Quoc Huy, Deputy Director of the Department of Grassroots Culture, Family and Libraries (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism), the misuse of foreign words or the incorrect use of standard Vietnamese in advertising can have negative consequences. Language is an important part of culture, a thread that connects communities. When Vietnamese in advertising becomes diluted and mixed, the inherent richness and purity of the mother tongue are eroded, thereby affecting our own cultural identity.

Besides reducing communication effectiveness, it also misleads consumers because many advertisements intentionally use ambiguous and confusing language, leading to misconceptions about the product and directly affecting their rights. In the long run, it creates negative habits in society, especially among young people who are easily influenced by repetitive advertising messages.

Therefore, the Party, the State, and the National Assembly have paid special attention to this issue. The Law amending and supplementing several articles of the Advertising Law in 2025 added a provision: Vietnamese language used in advertising products must ensure the purity of the Vietnamese language, be truthful, clear, easy to understand, and accurately reflect the intended message. This is an important legal basis for overcoming the misuse of foreign words and language errors, while affirming the responsibility of the entire society in preserving and promoting the value of the Vietnamese language.

According to Mr. Huy, to ensure both effective communication and the preservation of the Vietnamese language, clear principles need to be established: Advertisements must use standard language that is easily understood by all audiences; the language must be clear, polite, and consistent with social ethics and cultural traditions; creativity must be based on standard Vietnamese to create an attractive message without distorting its essence.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Toan Thang, former Director of the Institute of Culture and Development, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics , analyzed the special role of advertising in shaping language habits. He argued that advertising is one of the most vibrant activities in public media spaces such as radio, television, and social networks. The language and voice in advertisements are repeated daily, creating a Vietnamese-speaking environment that the public frequently receives, thereby gradually shaping language habits and strongly influencing correct and standard pronunciation.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Toan Thang, former Director of the Institute of Culture and Development, Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, analyzed the special role of advertising in shaping language habits. He argued that advertising is one of the most vibrant activities in public media spaces such as radio, television, and social networks. The language and voice in advertisements are repeated daily, creating a Vietnamese-speaking environment that the public frequently receives, thereby gradually shaping language habits and strongly influencing correct and standard pronunciation.

According to Mr. Thang, comprehensive solutions are needed. Firstly, specialized advertising production units should be established with the participation of Vietnamese language experts to create accurate wording. Secondly, regulatory agencies must closely supervise advertising companies, coupled with training human resources with strong grammatical skills, enabling them to both write and read correctly.

Thirdly, businesses must be responsible for their advertisements, ensuring they are truthful, misleading, and do not distort the Vietnamese language. Fourthly, the public should be encouraged to report advertisements that use incorrect Vietnamese, while the press should play a critical role in building a civilized advertising environment. “Advertising must have good management and supervision policies, while also fostering the contribution of the public and the press. Only then will advertising be both creative and attractive, while ensuring the accuracy and clarity of the Vietnamese language,” he affirmed.

The widespread use of foreign-language signs and billboards is a common problem on many streets in Hanoi. (Photo: nhandan.vn)

Management needs to be strengthened.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Minh Thai expressed concern about the misuse and distortion of the Vietnamese language in advertising. She noted that many billboards on the streets overuse foreign languages, while not all Vietnamese people are proficient in foreign languages. On social media, many advertising texts contain spelling errors, and some even use Western-style Vietnamese, causing offense and diminishing respect for the mother tongue.

According to Ms. Thai, there are two important groups of solutions. First, language education in schools. From grade 1 to the end of high school, students must learn to speak and write Vietnamese according to national standards. At the university level, students need to be trained in using Vietnamese in their respective fields to ensure accuracy and scientific rigor. Second, it is necessary to avoid "Westernization" in advertising. When promoting foreign products, the language must be Vietnamese-ized so that the public can easily understand it. If it is unavoidable to use words of foreign origin, they must be accompanied by explanations or definitions.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is developing a decree detailing the implementation of the Advertising Law, and simultaneously drafting a new decree on administrative penalties in the cultural sector, replacing Decree No. 38/2021/ND-CP. This will provide a solid legal basis, clearly defining violations regarding the use of language in advertising and linking them to sufficiently deterrent penalties.

On the other hand, inspection and supervision will be tightened, and violations will be strictly and publicly dealt with to create a deterrent effect. The leaders of the Department of Grassroots Culture, Family and Libraries believe that with the coordinated efforts of management agencies, businesses, and society, a professional and effective advertising environment will gradually be formed, contributing to preserving the purity of the Vietnamese language in modern life.

From the above analysis, it can be seen that advertising is not only a marketing tool, but also has a huge influence on shaping language habits in society. Each advertisement released will affect consumer behavior and instill in the community a way of speaking and using the Vietnamese language.

Therefore, for advertising to be truly civilized, attractive, and ethical, it requires collaboration from many parties: the State enacting and strictly enforcing laws; businesses being responsible for each media product; professionals ensuring accurate yet creative language; the press playing a critical and supervisory role; and the public raising their awareness in receiving and reflecting on information.

PV (compiled)

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/su-dung-tieng-viet-trong-quang-cao-can-phu-hop-521006.html