ASTUDY ON MULTIMODAL METAPHOR LN COCA- COLA AND PEPSI’ TELEVISION COMMERCIALS NGIIÊN CỨU VẺ ÂN DỤ DA PHƯƠNG TIỀN TRONG CAC TVC QUANG CÁO CỦA COCA- COLA VÀ PEPSI MA THESIS - TYPE 1 Fi
Rationalc al 2 Research questiows
Metaphor was once viewed as purely a figurative device with little relevance to everyday language until the groundbreaking work of Lakoff and Johnson in 1980, which introduced the Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) Since then, metaphors have been understood as fundamental to human thought, influencing various fields such as literature, economics, and media The rise of social commercialization and media proliferation has further emphasized the importance of advertising as an effective communication tool, making it a major manifestation of conceptual metaphors integral to our daily lives and cultural understanding.
In advertising, metaphor is a complex integration of words, images, sounds, and meanings that can significantly inspire consumer purchasing decisions Forceville (2008) emphasizes the importance of studying nonverbal and multimodal metaphors systematically to validate claims about conceptual metaphors Within the Conceptual Metaphor Theory framework, multimodal metaphors involve target and source concepts conveyed predominantly through multiple modes, with verbal language often being just one of these modes These modes can include written and spoken language, static and moving images, music, nonverbal sounds, and gestures (Forceville & Urios-Aparisi, 2009) Utilizing multimodal metaphors in advertising can effectively engage audiences by appealing to various sensory channels.
The researcher was impressed by Coca-Cola and Pepsi, two leading soft drink brands in the beverage industry, which have invested heavily in global advertising strategies to boost their brand recognition Their success is largely attributed to innovative advertising campaigns, particularly their "IVC" commercials that utilize diverse modes such as images, sounds, and words to engage viewers The researcher questions the use of multimodal metaphors in these commercials and their effectiveness in promoting products and capturing audience attention, prompting a thorough investigation into this area Therefore, the thesis mainly focuses on analyzing the multimodal metaphors employed in the TV commercials of Coca-Cola and Pepsi through the lens of Conceptual Metaphor Theory, providing a comparative understanding of their advertising techniques.
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Numerous studies within the Conceptual Metaphor Theory have been conducted; however, most focus on only one aspect of metaphor, limiting their scope Although some research consider different modes, their areas are often too diverse, making it challenging to find studies aligning on similar fields and topics This paper analyzes metaphor as a complex phenomenon, emphasizing how genre and modes interact to create meaningful messages in advertising The research aims to address specific questions about how metaphor functions in advertising contexts and how various modes influence the conveyance of targeted messages.
How is multimodal metaphor used in the TV ads of Coca - Cola and Pepsi? What are similarities and differences in using multimodal metaphor of the two soft drink brands?
The research aimed to identify multimodal metaphors and explore the relationships between their target and source domains in conveying specific messages Additionally, the study compared the use of multimodal metaphors in advertisements from two major brands The corpus consisted of two series of 30 TV commercials collected from the iSpot.tv website, providing a comprehensive dataset for analysis.
This study aims to contribute significantly to linguistic research, particularly in the area of multimodal metaphors As a novel approach, it is the first to compare multimodal metaphors in Coca-Cola and Pepsi advertisements, offering fresh insights into brand representation Completing this research could lead to new discoveries in metaphor analysis and open pathways for further scholarly exploration in advertising linguistics and multimodal communication.
This article highlights how clarifying language phenomena through television commercials can create a unique foundation for explaining similar phenomena in other fields and genres The study also aims to contribute to the development of theoretical frameworks in linguistics, providing valuable references for future research Overall, this research advances our understanding of language behavior and offers insights applicable across various contexts.
This study analyzes 30 TV commercials from Coca-Cola and Pepsi, broadcast on iSpottv over a five-year span from 2013 to 2018, providing insights into evolving marketing strategies All commercials are presented in English and range from 15 to 60 seconds, capturing key advertising trends despite varying yearly sample sizes The selection primarily aims to reflect general marketing objectives and contemporary industry trends, highlighting how these leading brands adapt their messaging over time.
Cola and Pepsi are two of the most renowned soft drink brands worldwide, consistently launching captivating TV commercials to boost their sales The researcher hypothesized that their marketing strategies, campaigns, and unique branding elements in these TV ads play a significant role in their success Driven by curiosity, she was eager to analyze and explore the distinct advertising techniques used by these leading beverage companies.
‘The thesis consists of three main parts, organized as follows
PART A: Introduction- gives the reasons why the author chooses this topic, aims, the scope and the design of the study
Literature review chapter reviews literature and previous studies in the field
Methodology chapter describes the data and data analyzing process It also provides an analytical framework for further discussion
Findings and discussion chapier shows results and discusses rescarch questions
PART C Conclusions - summarizes the findings and draws the conclusions followed by limitations and recommendations for extensive research.
The development section of the article begins with a comprehensive literature review, where the researcher analyzes previous studies in the field to establish a solid theoretical foundation The methodology chapter then details the data collection and analysis processes, providing an analytical framework to support the discussion Finally, the findings and discussion chapter presents the research results and interprets them in relation to the research questions, offering valuable insights for readers.
The literature review chapter provides an overview of related theories and previous studies in the same field as the current thesis, offering a comprehensive understanding of the topic It is divided into key sections, starting with approaches to metaphor and followed by foundational concepts of multimodal metaphors The chapter concludes with a brief comparison of two relevant studies on metaphor in advertising, allowing the researcher to highlight key points and differentiate their work within existing research.
Metaphor has continually captivated public attention and attracted scholarly interest over the centuries Before the advent of Cognitive Linguistics, researchers laid the groundwork by exploring the fundamental ideas and theories surrounding metaphor, highlighting its significance in language and thought.
Aristotle has long discussed the nature of metaphor, emphasizing that it primarily occurs at the noun level, where metaphor is applied to names or words He suggests that metaphor typically "happens" to nouns, highlighting its association with naming and designation Moreover, Aristotle presents metaphor as a form of motion, indicating a dynamic process of transfer or transformation within language Understanding this linguistic movement is essential for comprehending how metaphors shape meaning and enrich communication.
The application of a strange (alien or allotrios) term often involves transferring it from the genus to the species, from the species to the genus, between different species, or through analogy, as described by Aristotle (1982:1447b) This process highlights how the use of unfamiliar terminology can occur through displacement or analogy within biological classification systems Understanding these linguistic transfers is essential for accurate taxonomy and scientific communication.
According to Aristotle, once a name is applicd to a new thing, it may communicate something much more clearly, which is something else hard to grasp
Aristotle identified four methods of creating metaphors: genus to species, species to genus, species to species, and by analogy or proportion He emphasized that the primary purpose of rhetorical speech is persuasion, which diverges from the core function of metaphor The key virtues of metaphors include clarity, warmth, ease, appropriateness, and elegance, with Aristotle noting that “metaphor sets the scene before our eyes.” Despite the challenging circularity in defining metaphor—since its explanation is inherently metaphorical—scholars argue that metaphor remains a vital figure of speech, primarily flourishing within stylistics for its ability to enhance clarity and expressive power.
After a long period of scholars” losing interest in metaphors, Chomsky paid a direct aflention back to linguistics In his Language and Mind, he showed that