Bakhtinian contributions to the study of affectivity in discourse

Abstract

This paper aims to highlight Bakhtinian contributions to discursive-argumentative approaches to affectivity in language. We analyze a Natura advertising storytelling piece from the campaign Ocupe Seu Corpo: #VistaSuaPele, focusing on how trust is discursively constructed through verbivocovisual elements functioning as arguments. Natura was chosen because of its prominent role in the Brazilian cosmetics industry and its positioning as a company committed to social engagement. The Bakhtinian sociological methodology is employed to reveal how verbivocovisual discourse conveys social patterns and values that resonate with minority groups. Among the discursive effects identified as dialogically enhancing the notion of trust, we emphasize the narrative-of-life effect that emerges from self-referential speech. In this sense, the emotive-volitional layer of the utterance demonstrates trust in its multiple dimensions: trust in oneself, in others, and in the brand. This alignment connects affective values experienced by consumers with those projected in the advertising discourse.