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Article
Culture and metaphors in advertisements: France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United States
International Journal of Communication
  • Pamela Morris
  • Jennifer A. Waldman
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2011
Pages
942-968
Disciplines
Abstract

Culture and language are intertwined. Metaphors, based on culture, are ubiquitous in thinking and communication. As social artifacts reflecting culture, advertising messages provide an opportunity to compare metaphors in different nations. Goals of this article are to understand how and why advertisers use metaphors and how they differ across countries, as well as how cultural characteristics are used to create compelling ad messages. Using a content analysis of 87 French, German, Italian, Dutch, and American magazine advertisements, this study examines metaphor usage and cultural attributes from four culture-bound product groups: food and beverage, automobiles, insurance/finance, and personal care.

Creative Commons License
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0
Citation Information
Morris, P. K. & Waldman, J. A. (2011). Culture and metaphors in advertisements: France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United States. International Journal of Communication, 5, 942-968