Missing Ingredients in Metaphor Advertising: The Right Formula of Metaphor Type, Product Type, and Need for Cognition

Abstract

Metaphors appear frequently in contemporary advertising. The purpose of this study is to distinguish between two types of metaphor (explicit versus implicit) and to further examine potential influences associated with product type and consumer differences in need for cognition (NFC). Experimental results from two studies indicate that, regardless of metaphor type, ads with metaphors are more effective than nonmetaphor ads. An implicit metaphor is more effective than an explicit metaphor in hedonic product advertising. In contrast, an explicit metaphor is more effective than an implicit metaphor in utilitarian product promotion. These results hold only for individuals with high NFC, not for those with low NFC. Hence, in practice, marketers stand to gain not only by matching the metaphor type with their advertised products or brands but also by appropriately framing the products as hedonic or utilitarian.

Acknowledgments

Chun-Tuan Chang (PhD, University of Edinburgh) is a professor in the Department of Business Management, National Sun Yat-sen University.

Ching-Ting Yen (MBA, National Sun Yat-sen University) is a regional manager at Relmek Co. Ltd., an agency for Sebamed.

Notes

1. Dandruff is known as the most common hair problem in Taiwan (Landseed Hospital Newsletter, 2012). In a pretest, 40 undergraduates were asked to identify a hair problem after viewing either the explicit or the implicit ad. All of them associated dandruff with the advertised shampoo.

2. In the utilitarian product condition (shampoo), three alternatives were (1) a couple smiling at each other, (2) a blackboard eraser in a model's hand, and (3) a bottle of shampoo in a model's hand. In the hedonic product condition (chocolates), three choices were (1) a model wearing a chocolate on a ring, (2) a model wearing a diamond ring, and (3) a model's hand without anything worn on the fingers.

3. Participants first had to identify the visual image from three descriptions. In the utilitarian attribute condition, the three options were (1) a Nokia phone displaying the Google homepage on its screen, (2) a Nokia phone connected to a computer, and (3) a computer mouse connected to a computer. In the hedonic attribute condition, the three descriptions were (1) a Nokia phone used to watch a movie, (2) a person alone watching a movie in a luxury movie theater, and (3) a person alone watching a movie from a Nokia screen.

4. The authors thank the anonymous reviewer who raised these issues.