U. Nederstigt

Finding the tipping point: Visual metaphor and conceptual complexity in advertising

The effect of visual metaphor in advertising is claimed to follow a curvilinear pattern: visual metaphors that constitute a moderate challenge are said to have a bigger impact on appreciation than simpler or more complex metaphors. Until now, empirical evidence has been scarce. This study verifies whether the tipping point can indeed be identified. In an experiment, 485 participants judged 16 different metaphors (in advertisements for 16 different product categories) varying in conceptual complexity. Mediation analyses showed that metaphors of moderate complexity, although comprehended less well than simpler metaphors, are appreciated more than simpler and more complex metaphors.

English in Product Advertisements in Non-English-Speaking Countries in Western Europe: Product Image and Comprehension of the Text

ABSTRACT Although English has been shown to be the most frequently used foreign language in product advertisements in countries where it is not the native language, little is known about its effects. This article examines the response to advertisements in English compared to the response to the same ad in the local language in Western Europe on members of the target group for which the ad was intended: 715 young, highly educated female consumers. The use of English in a product ad does not appear to have any impact on image and price of the product, but it does affect text comprehension: the meaning of almost 40% of the English phrases was not understood. These results were the same for all countries involved in the study, irrespective of whether the respondents’ (self-) reported proficiency in English is high or low.

Grammatical preferences in aspect marking in first language and second language: The case of first language Dutch, English, and German and first language Dutch second language English, and first language Dutch second language German

Production studies on event conceptualization have shown that the language inventory has a clear influence on event descriptions in different languages (e.g., Carroll & von Stutterheim, 2010). In our perception study with native speakers of German, English, and Dutch and Dutch learners of German and English, we were able to show that in addition to preferred verbalization patterns, there are other verbalization patterns that are rated as equally likely. Our results suggest that a more differentiated explanation is needed than that proposed by Slobin (1996b). Grammatical aspects of a language are easier to acquire and apply than lexical aspects. These differences can be explained in terms of automatization and cognitive control of first language and second language processes

Does the use of a foreign language influence attention and genre-specific viewing patterns for job advertisements? An eye-tracking study

The aim of this online experiment was to find evidence for both the alleged attention-getting function of the use of L2 English in job advertisements and for a possible genre-specific viewing pattern for job advertisements. A mixed design eye-track experiment among 30 native speakers of Dutch who saw all-Dutch and mixed Dutch- English job advertisements tested whether the use of foreign language English in Dutch ads changed the viewing pattern compared to all-Dutch job advertisements. That is, it investigated whether the use of a foreign language attracted more attention (in terms of first fixation, number and duration of fixations, and returned views), and altered the genre-specific viewing pattern for job ads. Overall, no evidence for the attention-getting ability of foreign language use in jobs ads was found. On the contrary, English used in the company information seemed to have a deterring effect. Support was found for a genre-specific viewing pattern for job ads, which, however, was not altered by the use of a foreign language. Our results suggest that use of English is not necessarily a good option to attract attention. Findings for genre-specific viewing patterns suggest that makers of job ads should make the job description as attractive as possible, since this is the first element viewed. This is the first online study to investigate the effect of language choice on attention in job ads and the viewing patterns specific to this ad genre.

Cultural Differences? Visual Metaphor in Advertising: Comprehension and Tolerance of Ambiguity in Four European Countries

Not all types of visual metaphors are equally easy to understand. As can be seen in Figures 1 to 3, all ads make use of the same visual metaphor, which suggests that the exclusivity of a pearl is similar to the exclusive taste of the depicted chocolate. However, whereas Figure 1 visually juxtaposes the source (pearl) to the target (chocolate), and Figure 2 combines the target and the source in one pictorial element, Figure 3 only visualizes the source (and leaves the representation of the target to the imagination of the receiver).

Advertising in a Foreign Language or the Consumers' Native Language?

ABSTRACT Research on foreign languages in advertising stresses the role of the match between product and language. Ads with a match are more effective; however, their effectiveness has not been compared to that of ads in the consumers’ native language, which are not restricted to products with a match, but are used for a range of products. An experiment tested whether native ads were more effective than those utilizing foreign languages. We also took consumers’ foreign language proficiency into account. Results suggest that foreign language is not the only key to success in advertising and effectiveness might also depend on the foreign language used.