Conceptual
metaphors Mixed metaphors New Metaphors Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage English
slogans 17 68.0 0 0.0 8 32.0
Vietnamese
slogans 21 84.0 0 0.0 4 16.0
Table 5.3: The general frequency of each metaphor type in the whole 25 food and drink advertising slogans in English and those in Vietnamese
Glancing at table 5.3, it is quite obvious to see the favor of conceptual metaphor in advertising slogans with 17 of 25 slogans in English, accounting for 68.0% and 21 of 25 slogans in Vietnamese, accounting for 84.0%. Mixed metaphors
slogans in Vietnamese, accounting for 32.0% and 16.0% respectively. The number of new metaphor in English slogans is twice as many as in Vietnamese ones.
Although the number of new metaphor is not so much, the outstanding presence of conceptual metaphor concept in these slogans is undeniable. It can be concluded that conceptual metaphor is the most frequently used kind of metaphor in advertising slogans for food and drink products both in English and in Vietnamese.
Slogans using figurative words and style may become more attractive than the others. Although most slogans in English in the study were advertised many years longer than those in Vietnamese, new way of expressing metaphor had been widely utilized. The reason for this fact may be that advertisers and marketers in English- speaking countries may have access to the media, technology, and consumers‟
desire earlier and better than those in Vietnam.
The following sections provide more details of subtypes of metaphor used in the slogans.
5.3.1. Conceptual metaphor in food and drink advertising slogans Conventional/Conceptual metaphor Ontologi-
cal
Percent-
age Structural Percent- age
Orienta- tional
Percent- age English
slogans 14 82.3 2 11.8 1 5.9
Vietnamese
slogans 20 95.2 1 4.8 0 0.0
Table 5.4: The frequency of each sub-types of Conceptual metaphor in food and drink advertising slogans in English and in Vietnamese
Table 5.4 reveals the frequency of each conceptual metaphor sub-type exploited in each group. As analyzed, of 17 slogans in English exploiting conceptual metaphors, there are 14 slogans presented in ontological metaphor (accounting for 82.3%), 2 in structural metaphor (accounting for 11.8%), and only 1 presented in orientational metaphor (accounting for 5.9%). In 21 conceptual metaphors used in
25 slogans in Vietnamese, the numbers respectively are 20 (accounting for 95.2%), 1(accounting for 4.8%), and 0 (accounting for 0.0%). In both slogans in English and those in Vietnamese, ontological metaphors make up the largest number of this figure.
The reason why ontological metaphors are more often used than other two types may be as follows. Ontological metaphors provide much less cognitive structuring for target concepts than structural ones do. Their cognitive job seems to be to give an ontological status to general categories of abstract target concepts.
That means that we conceive of our experiences in terms of objects, substances, and containers, in general, without specifying exactly what kind of object, substance, and container is meant. In general, ontological metaphors enable us to see more sharply delineated structure where there is very little or none.
In general, among three major types of metaphors, conceptual metaphor represents the most frequently selected by advertisers and marketers. In all these slogans, typical conceptual metaphor concepts “Life is an entity/substance”,
“Feeling/Desire is an entity/substance” in ontological metaphor,
“Locations/Characteristics are locations” in structural metaphor, or “The product is an entity/substance” in personification, a special kind of ontological metaphor, are employed. The products are personified and given personal characteristics. By doing this, customers would probably feel close to the product and the brand. It would by large chance promote the selling power of the advertisements.
5.3.2. New metaphor in food and drink advertising slogans New metaphor
Extend- ing
Percent- age
Elabora- ting
Percent- age
Combin- ing
Percent- age
English slogans 2 25.0 1 12.5 5 62.5
Vietnamese slogans 0 0.0 0 0.0 4 100.0
Table 5.5: The frequency of each sub-types of New metaphor in food and drink
As can be seen from table 5.5, there is an overwhelming majority of combining in English slogans and Vietnamese ones: 62.5% and 100% respectively.
Lack of context may be the most suitable reason causing different ways of understanding slogans. No extending and elaborating can be found in slogans in Vietnamese, while they can be found in 3 slogans in English (two slogans in extending and the other in elaborating). Advertising technology, launching methods, promotion, the mass media, markets, and customer care services may be the most effective factors that help advertisers and marketers making fast progress in ways of delivering the messages of products.
To sum up, in chapter 5, two research questions are answered. Metaphors are used widely in slogans in English and in Vietnamese. One conceptual domain is understood by another conceptual domain. Different types and subtypes of metaphor are also presented. Similarities and differences between metaphors in English slogans and those in Vietnamese based on three main criteria: subtypes of food and drink, target domains, and types of metaphor are mentioned and discussed in this chapter.