Steel bullet in a velvet glove? - Harnessing 'visual metaphor' in brand building

Alexander L Biel and Judie Lannon

The authors argue for the value of `visual metaphor' compared with direct verbal exposition, and claim that much of the world's most effective advertising has been founded on this approach (some examples are given).

Steel bullet in a velvet glove?

Harnessing 'visual metaphor' in brand building

Alexander L Biel and Judie Lannon

Metaphor - the use of one image to evoke another - is one of the distinctive traits of mankind through the ages. In this important paper it is suggested that the apparently 'soft' quality of much of the world's most effective advertising is founded on the resourceful use of visual metaphor, and the avoidance of its antithesis - campaigns based on direct verbal exposition. In hard times, the temptation is to retreat to good solid product-based stuff; 'the hard sell',...

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