Linguistic Representation of Product Placement in Russian Literature: Cultural and Semiotic Specifics of Pragmatonyms

This article examines product placement as a narrative strategy within the framework of literary discourse. One of the most productive methods for the deliberate or unconscious linguistic representation of this cultural and semiotic phenomenon is the use of pragmatonyms, which encompass any verbal designation of a brand, trademark, or type of service. The aim of this research is to explore the metaphylogical tactics and technical methods of integrating product placement into literary texts, as well as to propose a typology of such integrations. A comprehensive and systematic analysis of literary product placement enables us to trace its evolution — from the use of pragmatonyms as quasi-advertising insertions in 19th- and 20th-century literature to commercially motivated advertising integrations in contemporary mass-market fiction. By organically embedding themselves into the fabric of narrative or lyrical plots, pragmatonyms, in interaction with other elements of the aesthetic reality, play a crucial role in the realization of idiostylistics and the semantic concept of a work. The authors conclude that a brand functions as a complex sign, acquiring semantically rich connotations. It is argued that references to goods and services contribute to the creation of a cultural and historical background, which, in turn, allows for the interpretation of characters’ mentalities, value systems, and associated plot developments.

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