A Pragmatic Study of Persuasive Analogies in English Ads

Abstract

Analogy is a figure of speech used in different fields including advertising. Metaphor and simile are the figurative devices used for creating analogy. Unlike metaphor and simile, analogy has not received enough attention from researchers. There are limited number of studies on analogy as an independent literary phenomenon and is rarely studied as a persuasive tool used in advertising. Accordingly, the main aim of this study is to highlight successful applications of analogy in advertisements to demonstrate its persuasive effect in directing the audience to purchase the products being advertised. Also, it is aimed at revealing the pragmatic strategies and persuasive appeals contribute in making persuasive analogy. The main findings of the study have been: 1) analogy is an effective figure of speech which plays a significant role in the field of advertising to raise the audience’s interest and respectively raise the essence of persuasion; 2) the use of images (visual metaphor) are noticeably greater than verbal figurative devices; 3) with regard to the speech acts, directive and representative have been used most frequently; 4) the advertisers relied mainly upon metaphor in creating advertisements, while little use of similes have been made; and 5) pathos has been the main appeal the advertisers employed for the purpose of persuasion.