Dialect as mainstream: A diachronic comparison of Swiss German television advertising (1985–2025)

Abstract

The medial diglossia of German-speaking Switzerland is undergoing a fundamental transformation. While a functional division of labor traditionally distinguished between the use of Dialect (signifying emotion and proximity) and Swiss Standard German (signifying information and authority), this article demonstrates that these boundaries have become obsolete in commercial communication. Based on a quantitative analysis of 222 television commercials from the year 2025 and a systematic comparison with Helen Christen’s seminal 1985 study, substantial shifts are revealed: the proportion of dialect-only commercials has tripled from 20% to 60%. Particularly significant is the functional shift; the dialect has transcended its traditional niche to dominate formerly standard-language information domains, including slogans and voice-over commentary (71.8%). In addition to the massive hegemony of Zurich German, the study reveals gender- and industry-specific language patterns (e.g., female/standard dominance in personal care vs. male/dialect in discount retail and household). The findings indicate that Standard German has lost its role as the norm variety, ceding ground to a strategic staging of authenticity in which dialect has advanced to become the new mainstream.