Persuasive Advertising - J. Scott Armstrong [142]
Now about irrelevant wordplay—our quasi-experimental analysis shows that damage can be severe:
High involvement print ads with irrelevant wordplay had much lower recall. Our WAPB analysis found 23 pairs of high-involvement ads in which one ad used irrelevant wordplay, while the other ad either did not use wordplay or used it appropriately. Recall for the irrelevant wordplay ads was only two-thirds that of the other ads.
In a lab experiment, subjects rated the believability of 50 aphorisms that were previously unknown to them; they received either an original version such as “Woes unite foes” or a version without wordplay, which in this example, was “Words unite enemies.” The aphorisms were rated as more believable (McGlone and Tofighbakhsh 2000).
Analyses of non-experimental data on over 1,500 TV commercials found that in comparison with the average ad in each sample, commercials with wordplay had better recall and persuasion. Also, jingles were 13 percent better than average on recall and 11 percent higher on persuasion (Walker 2008).
We analyzed non-experimental data in WAPB. In comparison with the industry norms for each print ad, the average persuasion score for the 39 ads that used relevant wordplay was 6 percent higher than the comparable score for the 181 ads without wordplay.
7.8. Metaphors and figures of speech
But the greatest thing is to be a master of metaphor … it is a sign of genius.
Aristotle
Metaphors and figures of speech are a type of wordplay that portrays the information in a familiar perspective which helps the audience to organize and remember the key points.2 The material differs from the readers’ expectations because the meaning is implied rather than literal, such as in this ad for Mercury Sable automobiles, “It forced other car makers into the copier business.”
Figures of speech can be used to make intangible products more tangible, such as when Travelers Insurance offers customers an umbrella and Prudential uses a rock as its symbol. Metaphors can make a mundane product, such as gasoline, more interesting—“Put a Tiger in your tank” (for Exxon).
7.8.1. Consider using novel and concrete metaphors that are related to a benefit
The Eurostar train developed the “Fly Eurostar to Paris,” campaign for the United Kingdom in 2003. One ad showed the train “landing” in Paris with the caption, “The world’s favorite trainline.” This metaphor emphasizes speed.
One way to create a novel metaphor is to start with a familiar saying, then give it a novel twist. An ad for rechargeable batteries asked, “Why pay cash for your battery when you can charge it?” In doing so, ensure that the metaphor is understandable to the target audience. In particular, it can be difficult to find metaphors that are understood by international audiences.
Metaphors can be made more concrete by the choice of words or by adding a visual representation. Example with words: An ad for Clinique cream said: “exceptionally soothing cream for upset skin.™”
A visual metaphor occurs when a visual image deviates from expectations, yet the deviation makes sense. An example: “What a clockmaker in 18th-century England taught us about making quality personal printers” in which the printer was shown on a clockmaker’s workbench. Visual metaphors are useful for attracting the attention of low-involvement subjects.
Metaphors are especially effective when delivered orally. They provide a framework for people to organize the information in an ad. The oral metaphors also provide less time for reflection and counter-arguing than do metaphors in still media.
It is best to limit the ad to a single metaphor. An extended metaphor adds effectiveness. As the saying goes, don’t mix metaphors.
Metaphors and figures of speech are commonly used in advertising. McQuarrie and Mick (1992) found that 86 percent of 154 full-page