Metaphor In Advertisement:an Integrated Approach Based On Conceptual Blending Theory And Relevance Theory

This thesis focuses on appealing to Conceptual Blending Theory and Relevance Theory to account for metaphor. The major purpose is to work out an integrated framework which is based on the integration of the two theories and apply it to interpret the meaning of metaphor in advertisement. Based on the two theories, the author intends to provide an integrated approach to explain metaphor in advertisement. The thesis proposes that advertisement is an instance of ostensive-inferential communication. Metaphor use in advertisement has two motives:functioning as an ostensive stimulus to attract the audience’s attention; and functioning as a carrier of explicatures and implicatures of the advertisement. The cognitive mechanism of the comprehension of metaphor in advertisement is the process of recovering explicatures and implicatures of the advertisement. Metaphor meaning comprehension involves five-fold, which can be explained by this integrated approach based on the integration of the blending model proposed by Conceptual Blending Theory and the principle of relevance proposed by Relevance Theory. The finally achieved meaning of the metaphor should be contextually relevant.The thesis is divided into six chapters. In Chapter1, motivation of the thesis’s study, purpose and significance of the thesis and arrangement of the thesis are provided.In Chapter2, literatures studying advertisement and metaphor in advertisement will be reviewed. As for literature review of advertisement, only three aspects are reviewed:advertisement definition, classification and function. As for literatures studying metaphor in advertisement, only three approaches are reviewed:Semiotic approach, Cognitive Linguistic approach and Relevance Theory approach.In Chapter3, theoretical background of this thesis is introduced. This thesis mainly exploits two theories:Conceptual Blending Theory and Relevance Theory. As for Conceptual Blending Theory, apart from its basic concepts, the thesis also introduces how metaphor is explained by this theory and the recent efforts scholars have made to incorporate contextual factors into this theory. As for Relevance Theory, the thesis introduces main ideas of the theory and how it accounts for metaphor.In Chapter4, previous studies are introduced, which compares and combines Cognitive Linguistics and Relevance Theory and discusses similarity and complementarity of Conceptual Blending Theory and Relevance Theory. These previous studies provide grounds for the thesis to integrate Conceptual Blending Theory and Relevance Theory to address metaphor in advertisement.In Chapter5, the advertisement is first identified as an instance of ostensive-inferential communication; then metaphor motivation and meaning is discussed from an integrated approach derived from Conceptual Blending Theory and Relevance Theory; finally, the integrated approach is applied to an example of advertisement in order to explain in detail the metaphor in this advertisement.At last, in Chapter6, main findings of this thesis are given together with limitation of the thesis and suggestions for further study.This thesis studies Conceptual Blending Theory’s and Relevance Theory’s respective ideas about metaphor, and proposes an integrated approach to metaphor in advertisement derived from the two theories. The author hopes that this study can contribute to the application of the two theories, the integrative analysis of the two theories, and our understanding of advertisement.