A Review of the Effect of Visual Metaphor on Advertising Response

摘要

Visual metaphor is an indirect method of persuasion in print advertising. It mainly uses metaphors implicitly to imply advertising appeals, which is very common in advertising marketing activities. So, is metaphorical advertising more effective than non-metaphorical advertising? The answer to this question should be based on a review of the effects of metaphorical advertising literatures. This paper first sorts out the different typologies of visual metaphor in advertising. Then explores how visual metaphor engages the consumer and elicits favorable responses to the advertisements. Meanwhile, this paper summarizes the moderating factors, through the two aspects of advertising stimuli and individual differences. Finally, the future research directions and references for marketing practice are addressed in the discussion.