A Multimodal Approach To Metaphors In Public Service Advertising

As a way of thinking, metaphor is not only pervasive in language but also in thoughts and actions. In addition, metaphor can be realized not only in language but also in other areas of human experience, such as drawings, music, movies and advertising. Metaphor in advertising has been a heated topic of research for numerous scholars and experts. However, most of the related studies focus on the exploration of metaphor at verbal-mode level or visual-mode level, and little has been done at multi-mode level. Public service advertising, an education power house to maintain social morality and improve pubic social consciousness, sets a good example to study metaphor with the interactions of different modes. Hence, the study of metaphor in public service advetising from multimodal perspective is of theoretical and practical significance.Based on conceptual metaphor theory and multimodal metaphor theory, the current thesis adopts descriptive and interpretive, introspective and data-based methods to make a multimodal study of metaphors in public service. Besides, the current thesis attempts to answer the following questions:(i) What is the working mechanism of metaphor in public service advertising? (ii) From multimodal perspective, how could metaphor be manifested in public service advertising? (iii) What are the functions of metaphor in public service advertising? (iv) Are there any factors in the construal of metaphor in public service advertising? If so, what are they?The major findings of the current thesis can be summarized as follows:(a) On the basis of conceptual metaphor theory and multimodal metaphor theory, the working mechanism of metaphor in public service advertising varies in two types. In terms of monomodal metaphor, the meaning of target domain is understood with reference to the experience and characteristics of source domain under the direction of metaphorical mappings. In terms of multimodal metaphor, source meaning is denoted by a pictorial/linguistic vehicle and functions as a thought vehicle providing cognitive access to target meaning.(b) In consideration of the involvement of different modes in public service advertising, manifestations of metaphor could be classified into verbal manifestation, pictorial manifestation, and multimodal manifestation. With the rapid development of modern Internet technology and multimedia technology, metaphor in public service advertising expressed through multi modes becomes more popular, and the manifestations of it tend to be multimodal.(c) By means of data-based study, the functions of metaphor in public service advertising can be summarized into informative function, evocative function and aesthetic function.(d) The construal of metaphor in public service advertising may be affected by objective factors and subjective factors. Context and cultural features of a specific advertisement serve as objective factors, while encyclopedia knowledge and personal experience of the target audience serve as subjective factors.(e) In the process of multimodal analysis of metaphor in public service advertising, it is suggested that metaphor and metonymy are closely related. The referential and highlighting functions of metonymy help the construal of metaphor, and the construal of metaphor broadens the mapping scope of metonymy at the same time.The findings of the current thesis are expected to shed some light on further metaphor studies, and at the same time they help improve the creation of metaphor as well as the comprehension of metaphorical meanings in public service advertising.