Formulas of Visual Metaphor in Advertising

Metaphor is generally defined as describing a concept or an issue through another matter that is more familiar and known. The basis of metaphor is describing a fact or an object by linking to concepts of different domains of meaning, in other words conceptualizing the fact again. Metaphors help individuals in materializing and making sense of complex thought, concept and associations through mental processes.Visual metaphors constitute a meaning with familiar images by using our previous experience and our cultural background. Hence, the interpretation of the visual metaphors can vary according to the content and the background of the audience. In the process of perceiving and interpreting visual metaphors, it cannot be expected that all the viewers will reach the same point by following a single channel. Refaie (2003, 89) notes that “the high context dependency of many visual metaphors means that their meaning is often implicit and that they tend to be open to quite a wide range of interpretations”.

as a research tool, to understand new subject areas, or as means to generate new ideas about familiar subjects. It can help sell a product, both to internal stakeholders and teammates as well as to consumers. I will explore how designers can use metaphor in their work in the process of advertising design.
Metaphor is method of transferring meaning through comparison with something else. It works through identification of similarity and difference. Both items must be obviously different but are made similar in some way- place able within a paradigm together. The effort is to reinforce similarity.