an investigation on metaphor used in english slogans by some banks in the world = nghiên cứu về ẩn dụ được sử dụng trong các câu khẩu hiệu của một số ngân hàng trên thế giới

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI
UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES




BÙI THỊ PHƢƠNG TRANG
MINOR THESIS RECAPITULATION


AN INVESTIGATION ON METAPHOR USED IN ENGLISH
SLOGANS BY SOME BANKS IN THE WORLD.
(Nghiên cứu về ẩn dụ đƣợc sử dụng trong các câu khẩu hiệu
của một số ngân hàng trên thế giới.)


M.A. MINOR THESIS


Field: English Lingustics
Code: 60 22 15
Course: K18



Hanoi, 2011



VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
FACULTY OF POST-GRADUATE STUDIES




BÙI THỊ PHƢƠNG TRANG



AN INVESTIGATION ON METAPHOR USED IN ENGLISH
SLOGANS BY SOME BANKS IN THE WORLD.
(Nghiên cứu về ẩn dụ đƣợc sử dụng trong các câu khẩu hiệu
của một số ngân hàng trên thế giới.)


M.A. MINOR THESIS


Field: English Lingustics
Code: 60 22 15
Course: K18
Supervisor: Nguyễn Thị Thơm Thơm, M.A.


Hanoi, 2011

iii
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: The frequency of slogans in each type of metaphors

Table 2: The frequency of each sub-types of Conceptual Metaphor
Table 3: The analysis of target, source and metaphor concepts in slogans of conceptual
metaphor











iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Acknowledgements………………………………………………………… i
Abstract…………………………………………………………………………. ii
List of tables…………………………………………………………………… iii
Table of contents…………………………………………………………… iv
PART A – INTRODUCTION
1. Rationale……………………………………………………………………… 1
2. Aims and Objectives of the Study……………………………………………… 2
3. Scope of the Study……………………………………………………………… 3
4. Methodology…………………………………………………………………… 3
5. Design of the Study…………………………………………………………… 4
PART B – DEVELOPMENT
CHAPTER 1 – LITERATURE REVIEW
1.1 Definition of metaphor…………………………………………………………. 5

1.2 Types of metaphor……………………………………………………………… 8
1.2.1 Conceptual/Conventional metaphors………………………………………… 9
1.2.1.1 Definition………………………………………………………………… 10
1.2.1.2 Target domain and Source domain ………………… ……………………. 10
1.2.1.3 Classification………………………………………………………………. 10
1.2.1.3.1 Ontological metaphors………………………………………………… 11
1.2.1.3.2 Structural metaphors…………………………………………………… 12
1.2.1.3.3 Orientational metaphors…………………………………………………. 13
1.2.2 Mixed metaphors…………………………………………………………… 13

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1.2.3 New metaphors………………………………………………………………. 14
1.3 Advertising …………………………………………………………………… 16
1.4 Slogan as a part of an advertisement…………………………………………… 17
1.4.1 Definition of a slogan………………………………………………………… 17
1.4.2 Requirements of an effective slogan…………………………………………. 20
1.4.3 Typical features of banks’ slogans…………………………………………… 21
1.5 Review of previous studies…………………………………………………… 21
CHAPTER 2 – AN ANALYSIS ON METAPHOR IN BANKS’
SLOGANS
2.1 Slogans – an integral part for banks’ development……………………………. 23
2.2 The exploitation of metaphor in banks’ slogans………………………………. 25
2.3 Procedures…………………………………………………………………… 28
2.3.1 Data collection………………………………………………………………. 28
2.3.2 Data analysis………………………………………………………………… 28
2.4 The analysis…………………………………………………………………… 29
2.5 Formulating of the research questions………………………………………… 32
2.6 Results and discussions………………………………………………………. 32
2.6.1 Research question 1…………………………………………………………. 32
2.6.2 Research question 2………………………………………………………… 34

2.7 Concluding remark…………………………………………………………… 35
PART C – SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION…………………… 37
REFERENCES………………………………………………………………. 40
APPENDICES I


1
PART A: INTRODUCTION
The first chapter states the research problem and justifies the rationale for the study.
Afterwards, the aims, objectives, scope as well as methodology of the study are
presented. The chapter ends with an overview of later chapters to provide a clear
outline for the whole paper.
1. Rationale
We are now living in an epoch of information explosion in which advertising seems
to be an integral part of the media. It cannot be denied that advertising is an
indispensable element of our social and economic system. Everyday, many products
and services are introduced via the media; therefore, advertising is so familiar to
everyone. It is all around us. We are exposed to so much advertising. Just as Clark,
B. (1998) says: “ the average man lives with the advertising man‟s work more hours
a day than with his family, and is certainly more familiar with advertising slogans
than with the proverbs in his bible.” Advertising is a powerful tool for the flow of
information from the seller to the buyer. It persuades people to believe and purchase.
There are many elements in making a successful advertisement. Slogans can be
considered to be one major factor. Memorable, understandable, meaningful and
competitive slogans can be effective when customers need products or services.
Metaphor is used by people to understand an abstract concept by referring to a
concrete one. It appears so often and is utilized so widely that sometimes we use it
subconsciously and without realizing it. Lakoff and Turner (1989:1) suppose it as
“omnipresent”, “accessible to everyone” and “irreplaceable”. As a matter of fact, a
mastery of metaphor has been acquired to be used in our daily lives and it helps us

understand the world around us.

2
Metaphor has been applied to all walks of life for centuries, such as politics,
economy and the entertainment industry. With the fast commercialization of the
society and the booming of the media industry, advertising, as one of the most
efficient ways of publicizing products, has become an indispensable part of our life
and “a major manifestation of conceptual metaphors”(Kövecses 2002:59). The
selling power of the advertisements largely depends on the conceptual metaphors
(pictures or words) used in them. A well-chosen metaphor will greatly prompt
people‟s desire to buy a certain product.
A mass of previous discussion has been focused on the metaphors used in the field of
advertising. For example, Anderson (1998) has investigated the use of metaphor in
on-line advertising and Lundmark (2005) has discussed metaphor and creativity in
British magazine advertising.
However, among the previous discussion, less attention has been paid to the slogans
of advertising, which perhaps are some of the most powerful component elements of
all the advertisements. They are widely used to attract potential consumers‟ attention
and may be the very essence of advertising. This study mainly focuses on the slogans
in the field of banking advertising and discusses the metaphors used in those slogans
with the title: “An investigation on metaphor used in some banks‟ slogans in the
world.” It focuses on metaphor classification based on Lakoff and Johnson‟s theory
and its application to some banks‟ slogans.
2. Aims and objectives of the study
The study aims to find out the frequency of different metaphor types used in banks‟
slogans.
After an initial analysis described in chapter 2, the research questions can be
formulated as:

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Question 1
Is conceptual metaphor most frequently exploited in banks‟ slogans?
Question 2
Is there an outstanding favor towards the ontological metaphor?
3. Scope of the study
All the chosen slogans in this study are taken from the advertisements of banks in
English-speaking countries or international brands.
In this study, the analysis is based on Lakoff and Johnson‟s theory of metaphor to
discuss each type of metaphor used in the chosen banks‟ slogans.
Due to the limitation of a minor thesis, only 20 banks‟ slogans are selected to be
analyzed.
4. Methodology
First, the banks‟ slogans were selected and classified. After that, the metaphorical use
of words and expressions was identified and categorized into four categories
according to both of their source domain and target domain. Then the theory of
conceptual metaphor has been applied in the analysis and discussion of those
metaphorical expressions.
In fact, the research is a descriptive study as it “involves a collection of techniques
used to specify, delineate, or describe naturally occurring phenomena without
experimental manipulation” (Seliger & Shohamy, 1989:124). Therefore, the
collection of data will be carried out through non-intrusive and non-manipulative
procedures. The descriptive approach helps to investigate into the frequency of
metaphor types among banks‟ slogans.
The combination of both qualitative and quantitative methods is used in this study.
They help us to have a general picture over the selected cases. Qualitative analysis
allows us to carefully research each specific case.

4

After using quantification and classification to recognize the frequencies and divide
selected slogans into groups of types and sub-types, two research questions for a
further study would be given and demonstrated later based on the result of the
classification.
5. Design of the study
The study consists of five chapters:
In the PART A entitled “INTRODUCTION”, all the academic routine required for a
study is represented.
PART B is DEVELOPMENT, the body of the thesis, including three chapters.
Chapter 1, with the title “LITERATURE REVIEW”, gives a theoretical background
to this study the definition of metaphor and promotional metaphor. In addition, the
typical classification of metaphors by Lakoff and Johnson is asserted as a theory base
for the specific classification of metaphor types exploited in selected slogans as well
as the definitions of advertising and advertising slogans. This chapter also reflects
some previous researches on advertising and advertisements.
Chapter 2 is named “AN ANALYSIS ON METAPHOR IN BANKS‟ SLOGANS”
focusing on the importance of slogans to advertising as well as banks‟ development.
Besides, in this chapter, an analysis of 20 banks‟ slogans is carried out to help the
author achieve the best result in the study. It also includes the Results and
Discussions. This section presents results and findings, which have been proved and
obtained from the analysis in the previous part.
Part C – CONCLUSION gives the overall recapitulations, implications of the study
as well as suggests for further researches.
In brief, the chapter has discussed the research problem, rationale for the study, scope
as well as methods of the study. Ending the chapter is the overview of the rest of the
paper. With such content, this chapter acts as a guideline or orientation for the
development of the later chapters of the study.

5
PART B: DEVELOPMENT

CHAPTER 1: LITERATURE REVIEW
In this chapter, the theoretical matters related to the analysis will be discussed.
Firstly, an overview on metaphors in general with its definition and its types are
introduced. Secondly, it is necessary to mention and discuss the relationship between
advertising and slogans. Thirdly, a review of previous studies is also presented.
1.1 Definition of metaphor
The term metaphor that comes from Greek means “transference”. With the
development of cognitive linguistics and the publication of Metaphors We Live By by
Lakoff and Johnson (1980), the understanding of metaphor has been changed
dramatically. Metaphor is a major and indispensable part of our ordinary,
conventional way of conceptualizing the world, and that our everyday behavior
reflects our metaphorical understanding of experience.
Metaphor is defined as the substitution of one idea or object with another, used to
assist expression or understanding. Some theorists have suggested that metaphors are
not merely stylistic, but that they are cognitively important as well. Lakoff and
Johnson also argue that “metaphors are pervasive in everyday life, not just in
language, but also in thought and action.” (1980:3). Metaphors are around us.
Metaphors are not the matter of language, but they also exist in the way we think and
act.
A common definition of a metaphor can be described as a comparison that shows
how two things that are not alike in most ways are similar in another important way.
They explain how a metaphor is simply being understood and experienced one kind
of thing in terms of another. The authors call this concept a “conduit metaphor”. By
this they mean that a speaker can put ideas or objects into words or containers, and

6
then send them along a channel, or conduit, to a listener who takes that idea or object
out of the container and makes meaning of it.
Lakoff and Johnson give several examples of daily metaphors we use, such as
“argument is war” and “time is money.” Metaphors are widely used in context to

describe personal meaning. As metaphor can convey the imagination of the language
users so it is more persuasive and effective in communication.
In Oxford Advanced Learner‟s Dictionary (1995: 734), metaphor is defined as “the
imaginative use of a word or a phrase to describe somebody/something as another
object in order to show that they have the same qualities and as to make the
description more forceful”, so a metaphor not only explains by making the abstract or
unknown concrete and familiar, but it also enlivens by touching the reader‟s
imagination. Further, it affirms one more interconnection in the unity of all things by
showing a relationship between things seemingly alien to each other. Let‟s have a
look at this advertisement of an investment company: Investment company: “You are
the traveler. Your investments are the terrain. We are the map.” From this example,
we can easily identify the meaning the advertisement intends to convey and find out
what the metaphor refers to.
However, it is very important to distinguish metaphor from simile and metonymy
because they are closely related.
Metaphor and simile are forms of comparison. Metaphor compares two different
things by speaking of one in terms of the other. Metaphor asserts that one thing is
another thing not just that one is like another. Simile is a comparison between two
different things that resemble each other in at least one way. In advertising the simile
is a device both of art and explanation, comparing an unfamiliar thing to some
familiar thing (an object, event, process, etc.) known to the reader. The simile is
usually introduced by “like”, “as”. For example:
E.g. Like your baby, kittens need more nutrition than adult cats.

7
“Metonymy and metaphor also have fundamentally different functions. Metonymy is
about referring: a method of naming or identifying something by mentioning
something else which is a component part or symbolically linked. In contrast,
metaphor is about understanding and interpretation: it is a means to understand or
explain one phenomenon by describing it in terms of another." (Knowles, M. &

Moon,R.,2006)
Metonymy is understood as a conceptual process where the target entity is referred to
by the vehicle entity. The vehicle entity can direct attention or provide mental access
to the target entity. Examples are as follows (borrowed from Lakoff and Johnson‟s
2003:37):
He bought a Ford.
The sax has the flu today.
Nixon bombed Hanoi.
(Lakoff & Johnson, 2003:37)
In the above examples, one entity (the vehicle entity) is used to refer to the other (the
target entity). The producer is used to refer to the product, the object used refers to
the user and the controller refers to the controlled. It can be conceived that in all the
three cases above, the vehicle entity and the target entity are contiguous and closely
related.
Metaphor and metonymy are two kinds of transference of meaning. However,
metaphor is based on the association of similarity and metonymy based on the
association of contiguity. Look at an example of metonymy.

E.g. The pen is mightier than the sword.
(Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1839)

8
In this example, the word “the pen” refers to literary power and the word “the sword”
refers to military force. This is done on the basis of part-whole relation in which the
name of the part is used to refer to the whole.
Despite the difference, metonymy, like metaphor, is also a conceptual process. It
does not occur randomly or arbitrarily. It cannot be viewed merely as an isolated
mere linguistic phenomenon. Metonymy, like metaphor, is also a reflection of our
daily experience and a reflection of how we think of the world around us. Take the
metonymic linguistic expressions for the metonymy THE FACE FOR THE PERSON

as examples:
She has just a pretty face.
There are an awful lot of faces out there in the audience.
We need some new faces around here.
(Lakoff and Johnson 2003:38)
This metonymy occurs frequently in our everyday life, and it is based on our
everyday experiences. It is common for us to remember and think of a person by his
face, and by seeing someone‟s face, you can say that you have seen somebody, not
by seeing his other body parts.
Moreover, if you want to keep a photograph of someone, the person‟s face has to
appear on the photo. Thus, metonymy is not just a characteristic of language. It is
grounded in our experience, such as our thoughts, attitudes and action (Lakoff &
Johnson 2003:40).
Metaphor can be classified in many ways based on different approaches. For this
study, I think it should be in the light of Lakoff and Johnson‟s classification on
metaphors.
1.2 Types of metaphor
Before the publication of the great work, metaphor was viewed by most people as an
extraordinary form of language rather than a form of language used in everyday life.

9
It was understood to mostly appear in poetry and literary works for the sake of
decoration and beautification. It was considered to be a language phenomenon alone.
However, in the work of Lakoff and Johnson, metaphor is seen as a conceptual
process that people use to understand and categorize the world around them. It exists
everywhere and plays an important role in our daily life. It exists not only in
language but in thought and action as well (Lakoff & Johnson 2003:4)
1.2.1 Conceptual/Conventional metaphors
1.2.1.1 Definition
In cognitive linguistics, conceptual metaphor is perceived as a figurative comparison

in which an idea (or conceptual domain) is understood in terms of another. In George
Lakoff and Johnson‟s work, 1980, the fundamental basis of Conceptual Metaphor
theory is that metaphor is not particularly about language at all, but rather about
thought. Conceptual metaphors link two conceptual domains, the source domain and
the target domain. The source domain consists of concrete and physical concept
while the target domain tends to be abstract. In the example: “Life is a journey”, we
can see that the way we speak about life in English is similar to the way we speak
about journey. People use the concept of journey to understand the highly abstract
concept of life. The metaphor uses everyday experience with a journey. The two
domains involved in a conceptual metaphor are called the target domain and the
source domain. And the source domain is used to understand the target domain.
Normally the target domain is more abstract (as LIFE) and the source domain is more
concrete (as JOURNEY) (Kövecses 2002:4).
Metaphors are naturally and effortlessly used by English speakers in their daily life.
For example, when people talk We’ll just have to go our separate ways, the
conceptual metaphor LOVE IS A JOURNEY is used, however, most people even do
not realize that they use the metaphorical expression go our separate ways to
comprehend the concept of love (Kovecses, 2002: 30). Therefore, we can call this

10
kind of well established and highly conventionalized metaphors conventional
metaphors. The conventional conceptual metaphors like ARGUMENT IS WAR,
LIFE IS A JOURNEY, IDEAS ARE FOOD, THEORIES ARE BUILDINGS, etc. are
widely mentioned to understand abstract domains for communicational purposes.
However, it is often the case that the conventional metaphors are manifested by
unconventional metaphorical expression, for example: “Stop the world. I want to get
off.” Kovecses (2002:31). This sentence derives from the underlying conventional
conceptual metaphors LIFE IS A JOURNEY but it is expressed in an unconventional
way as the life is metaphorically described like a journey on the bus. Briefly
speaking, no matter applied to the conventional metaphoric expressions or

unconventional ones, the journey metaphors frequently occur among conventional
metaphors.
1.2.1.2 Target domain and Source domain of Conceptual metaphor
“The domain that is mapped is called the source domain, and the domain onto which
the source is mapped is called target domain.” (Lakoff and Johnson, 1987).
Conceptualist views consider metaphor as a cognitive mechanism used to structure
our knowledge in the mind by means of one domain of experience understood in
terms of another domain. The nature of this metaphor is explained following a
mapping process from a source domain onto a target domain. Richards (1936) calls
them the tenor and the vehicle.
Take the metaphor “She is a snake.” for example. The source domain in this example
is a snake and the target domain is she. Normally, a snake is thought of as a
dangerous and poisonous animal. This woman is seen to share some common
features with a snake. The metaphor is formed on this basis.
1.2.1.3 Classification
According to Kovecses (2002: 29), the metaphors can be classified in the light of the
conventionality and function of metaphors. There are conventional metaphors and

11
unconventional metaphors based on the degree of conventionality. On the basis of
different functions, conceptual metaphors can be divided into structural metaphors,
ontological metaphors and orientational metaphors (Kovecses, 2002:33).
1.2.1.3.1 Ontological metaphors
Ontological metaphor is perceived as a metaphor in which “an abstraction, such as an
activity, emotion, or idea, is represented as something concrete, such as an object,
substance, container, or person”. Ontological metaphors can also be understood as
entity and substance metaphors (Lakoff & Johnson 2003:26). Ontological metaphors
are based on our experience with the physical world around us. When things we want
to refer to are not very concrete and do not have a clear physical shape, we tend to
understand them as entities or substances. Take the INFLATION IS AN ENTITY

metaphor (Lakoff & Johnson 2003:27) as an example. Inflation is understood as an
entity and it enables us to refer to and qualify it in the following sentences (Lakoff &
Johnson 2003:27):
Inflation is lowering our standard of living.
If there‟s much more inflation, we‟ll never survive. We need to combat
inflation.
Inflation is hacking us in to a corner.
In the above cases, inflation is understood as something that can affect out lives and
be combated. The use of ontological metaphor enables people to talk about and
understand inflation as a physical entity.
For more detailed, this kind of metaphor is further classified into container, entity
and substance metaphor. A containment metaphor in which a concept is represented
as having an inside and outside, and capable of holding something else such as in:
I‟ve had a full life.
An entity metaphor, in which an abstraction is represented as a concrete physical
object or may be a person.

12
E.g. My mind just isn‟t operating today.
Another kind of ontological metaphor is substance metaphor. A substance metaphor
is an ontological metaphor in which an abstraction, such as an event, activity,
emotion, or idea, is represented as material.
E.g. There was a lot of good sprinting in the race.
1.2.1.3.2 Structural metaphors
Structural metaphor is one kind of conceptual metaphors classified on the basis of
conceptual functions. Structural metaphors are defined as “cases where one concept
is metaphorically structured in terms of another”. (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980)
In structural metaphors, rich structure knowledge is provided by the source domain
for the target concept. By the structure of the source, the speakers are able to
understand the target. The understanding process happens when the elements of the

source are conceptually mapped onto the elements of the target (Kövecses 2002: 33).
Structural metaphors have something to do with our experience and allow us to use
“one highly structured and clearly delineated concept to structure another” (Lakoff &
Johnson, 2003:62), just as Lovecses asserts that in structural metaphors, the source
domain provides relatively richer knowledge structure to help people understand the
concept of the target through mappings (Kovecses, 2002: 33).Take the TIME IS
MOTION metaphor as an example. Here, time is structured according to motion and
space and we can get the following mappings in this metaphor (Kövecses 2002: 33):
Times are things.
The passing of time is motion.
Future times are in front of the observer; past times are behind the observer.
One thing is moving, the other is stationary; the stationary thing is the deictic center.
Our concept and understanding of time is structured and understood in this way.
Without structural metaphor, it would be difficult to understand and imagine what
our concept of time would be.

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1.2.1.3.3 Orientational metaphors
There is one more kind of conventional metaphor – orientational metaphor, in which
concepts are spatially related to each other, as in the following ways: Up or down, in
or out, front or back, on or off, deep or shallow, central or peripheral. The cognitive
function of orientational metaphor is a series of target concepts coherent in our
conceptual system.
1.2.2 Mixed metaphors
Mixed metaphors can be defined as different metaphors occurring in the same
utterance, especially the same sentence that is used to express the same concept.
Here are some sentences, which present a mixture of the argument-as-journey and
argument-as-container metaphors. The first three sentences are acceptable; the last
two are marginally acceptable.
At this point our argument doesn‟t have much content.

In what we‟ve done so far, we have provided the core of our argument.
If we keep going the way we’re going, we‟ll fit all the facts in.
We can now follow the path of the core of the argument.
The content of the argument proceeds as follows …
Mixed metaphors are divided into impermissible and permissible mixed metaphors.
Impermissible mixed metaphors are metaphors that conflict because they serve
different purposes. The argument-as-journey and argument-as-container metaphors
serve different purposes. Argument-as-journey can address the “direction” of the
argument and the argument-as-container can address the “amount of content” of the
argument. Permissible mixed metaphors are mixed metaphors that do not conflict
with each other because they serve the same purpose, and exhibit a correlation with
each other.


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1.2.3 New metaphors
A new metaphor is a metaphor that is not already part of the conceptual system of a
culture as reflected in its language. That‟s why this kind of metaphors is considered
to be “imaginative and creative”. “Such metaphors are capable of giving a new
understanding of experience. Thus, they can give new meaning to our pasts, to our
daily activity, and to what we know and believe.” (Lakoff and Johnson)
E.g.: Love is a collaborative work of art.
(Lakoff & Johnson, 1980)
Ortony (1993:2) points out that metaphor can be regarded as “an essential
characteristic of the creativity of language” or “deviant and parasitic upon normal
use”. It is often the case that metaphors used in creative works such as literary works,
advertisements and films are different from metaphors in our everyday life. They are
usually more creative and new.
Creative people such as advertisers usually create novel metaphors to meet various
needs. As a result, there is a widespread view held by most people that these creative

and novel metaphors belong to a distinct and independent category from ordinary
metaphors. This view is only partially true. When talented people create new
metaphors for their creative works, they do not simply leave the ordinary metaphors
behind. On the other hand, they make use of a great deal of conventional and
everyday metaphors. Actually “everyday language and the everyday conceptual
system contribute a great deal” to their works (Kövecses 2002:43).
To create novel and unconventional metaphors, several devices have to be employed
in the reworking of normal and everyday language. These include extending,
elaboration, questioning and combining (Kövecses 2002: 47).

15
In extending, a new conceptual element is introduced in the source domain to an
already existing conventional metaphor and the ordinary conceptual metaphor is
expressed by new metaphorical linguistic expressions. Take the following two
linguistic expressions as examples (Kövecses 2002: 47):
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I
I took the one less traveled by.
In the middle of life‟s road
I found myself in a dark wood.
In both of the two examples, the conventional metaphor LIFE IS A JOURNEY is
utilized and at the same time the ordinary metaphor is expressed in a new way. In the
first case, a traveler is faced with two roads leading to the destination on his way. The
novel element here is that of the two roads, one may be chosen less frequently than
the other. The novel element in the second example is that one‟s road may go through
a dark wood.
What is common for the two cases is that the novel metaphors are created by using
and extending conventional metaphors. An “unused” element is added in the creative
process (Kövecses 2002: 47).
The difference between elaboration and extension lies in that in elaboration, people
elaborate on an already existing element of the source in detail rather than adding a

new element to the source domain (Kövecses 2002: 47).
According to Lakoff and Turner (1989), Horace refers to death as the “eternal exile
of the raft”. The conventional metaphor DEATH IS DEPARTURE is reflected in this
expression but is elaborated by detailing the type and means of departure (exile and
raft). It includes details instead of adding new elements from the source as in the case
of extension. That departure is described in terms of exile helps us understand that
death is viewed as something enforced upon us. Choosing a raft as the means of
transport indicates that there is no certain destination. (Lakoff & Turner 1989: 67-69)

16
Several conventional everyday metaphors can be combined in a single metaphorical
linguistic expression to create novel metaphors. It is said to be “perhaps the most
powerful mechanism to go beyond our everyday conceptual system” (Kövecses
2002:49). Take the expression below as an example:
You took away the light of my life.
In this short sentence, light is understood as a substance that can be took away and
life is understood as a substance that has light. At least two conventional metaphors
are combined here, namely LIGHT IS A SUBSTANCE and A LIFE TIME IS A
DAY. The combination of conventional metaphors thus enables the creation of new
ones.
Generally, there are three main types of metaphors which are
conceptual/conventional, mixed and new metaphors. Basing on these, 20 selected
banks‟ slogans will be classified.
1.3 Advertising
Advertising is one of the key elements in building a brand personality, which is
equally important to the marketer & consumers. Now advertising is an integral part
of our social and economic system. Everyday we are exposed to so much advertising.
Of all business activities, probably none is better known, more widely discussed, or
more highly criticized by the public than advertising. One reason for this is that
advertising has become the spokesman for business. As a form of mass

communication closely linked with the world of commerce and marketing,
advertising is a powerful tool for the flow of information from the seller to the buyer.
It influences and persuades people to act or believe. It is also something which
affects most of us in a number of different spheres of our lives. It not only influences
any human society but also reflects certain aspects of that society‟s values and
structure. No surprise that most of groups and companies are willing to pay almost
their turnover on advertising. There are many special and specific reasons for using

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advertising: announcing a new product or service, expanding the market, announcing
a modification or a price change, challenging competition, recruiting of staff and
attracting investors, etc.
The important role of advertising is very clear, but how to make a good
advertisement is not easy. A successful advertisement is expected to fulfill five
functions namely (1) attracting attention, (2) commanding interest, (3) creating
desire, (4) inspiring conviction and (5) provoking action. (Vestergaard and Shrodder,
1985).
(1) A good advertisement has to make the consumers pay attention on the
product. The consumers cannot focus on other things. To achieve this,
advertisers usually make their advertisements special and unique.
(2) Rousing consumers‟ interest is another factor in making a successful
advertisement. The interest may be from eye-catching images, exciting songs
that easy to sing, meaningful contents, etc.
(3) The advertisement should stimulate consumers‟ desire to own the product
and make them realize that this product is the thing they want.
(4) The introduction of an advertisement should convince the consumer on the
product. It makes them firstly think about the product when they need.
5) The advertising urges consumers to take the action of purchasing. It is here
that the topmost task of advertising is completed.
All these five functions are inter-related and in concert serve to promote the selling

power of the product advertised.
1.4 Slogan as a part of an advertisement
1.4.1 Definition of a slogan
A slogan is “a short easily remembered phrase, especially one used to advertise an
idea or a product.” (Cambridge Dictionaries Online)

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A slogan is a sentence that distinguishes advertisements from both each other and the
texts. A slogan may be compared with the headline of an article. A slogan is a form
of verbal logo. In a print advertising, it usually appears just beneath or beside the
brand name or logo. A slogan sums up what one stand for, one‟s specialty, the
benefit, and one‟s marketing position, and one‟s commitment. It is especially useful
to reinforce one‟s identity. Slogans have two basic purposes: to provide continuity to
a series of ads in a campaign and to reduce an advertising message strategy to a brief,
repeatable, and memorable positioning.
In his book, Creative Advertising, Whittier (1958: 11) states that a slogan
“… should be a statement of such merit about a product or service that it is worthy of
continuous repetition in advertising, is worthwhile for the public to remember, and is
phrased in such a way that the public is likely to remember it.”
Advertising slogans are nothing but creative phrases that represents a product for
centuries. The best advertising slogans are made with the idea of recollecting easily
and making people brand loyal. The slogans are created on the basis of the
characteristics of a product; a phrase should resemble a product and make people
aware about the uses of the product. Let‟s have a quick look at the short list of
advertising slogans of the century:
DeBeers: Diamonds are forever
Coca-Cola: The Pause that refreshes
Avis: We try harder
Nike: Just do it
Clairol: Does she … or doesn‟t she?

Wendy‟s: Where‟s the beef?
Advertising slogans play a vital role especially when you have to create your brand
image in front of the customers when there are other rival companies vying for
attention. A highly effective slogan would generally state: the benefits of the product,

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compare the product with other products, a simple statement describing the product, a
witty statement, makes the consumer feel good, and its memorable one, and creates a
desire to buy the product. There are different industries catering to particular
products and then there are umbrella brands having all types of products, some create
individual slogans for each product while some have common slogan for all. Given
below are list of advertising slogans that created history and are still remembered
after centuries:
Molson Canadian Beer: I am Canadian.
Apple Computer: Think outside the box.
Microsoft: Where do you want to go today?
HBO in 1990: It‟s not TV, it‟s HBO.
Energizer Batteries: Keeps going and going and going.
WINS Radio, New York: You give us 22 minutes, we‟ll give you the
world.
Maybelline: Maybe she‟s born with it – maybe it‟s
Maybelline.
Midland Bank: The Listening Bank.
Trustee Savings Bank: The bank that likes to say Yes.
Trebor Mints: A minty bit stronger.
L‟Oreal: Because you‟re worth it.
Disneyland: The happiest place on Earth.
BMW: Sheer Driving Pleasure.
There are many different replaced terms for the word “slogans” in other countries, for
example:

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Countries
Terms
The UK
End lines, endlines or strap lines
The USA
Tags, tag lines, taglines or theme lines
Germany
Claims
Belgium
Baselines
France
Signatures
the Netherlands
and Italy,
Pay-offs or payoffs
(www.adslogans.co.uk)
1.4.2 Requirements of an effective slogan
The advertising slogan is always short and epigrammatic in nature. It helps to make
the advertisement more impressive and memorable. (XUE Hangrong, 2003:206)
A slogan should
1. be memorable
2. recall the brand name
3. include a key benefit
4. differentiate the brand
5. impart positive feelings for the brand
6. reflect the brand's personality

7. be strategic
8. be campaignable
9. be competitive
10. be original
11. be simple
12. be neat
13. be believable
14. help in ordering the brand