Metaphoric Representation and Aesthetic in Advertising

Abstract

The function of the visual representation in advertising communication is the fact the image that was instrumentalized for a purpose can be effective with the right wording. In visual representation, which takes place in two stages, form and content, content needs form. Designing everything there is to be conveyed within a certain meaning system creates the language of visual representation. As for the form, it is inevitable to resort to an esthetic language. In this regard, the form and content can be regarded as two basic factors that create the metaphorical meaning in advertisements. When it comes to the metaphorical expression in advertisements, one can say that examining semantical aspects will not be enough, as it is also necessary to take linguistic aesthetic of form into account. In this regard, the purpose of the current study is to examine the visual representations of advertisements that feature metaphors using a dualistic approach, from form and content aspects. The examination is going to be carried out on the television commercial inspired by Johannes Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring and the layers of the metaphorical expressions used in the commercial will be revealed.