Strategic maneuvering through multimodal metaphors of appraisal in Chinese pictorial refreshments advertisements

Abstract Increased attention has been directed to multimodal metaphors in advertisements, because verbal metaphors only cannot achieve the purpose of persuasion and promotion. This study investigated the structural and semantic characteristics of attitudinal appraisals expressed through multimodal metaphors in Chinese pictorial refreshments advertisements. The analysis was based on a corpus of 200 pictorial refreshments advertisements. Multimodal approach, metaphorical conception, attitudinal appraisal theory were employed to direct the study. The findings revealed that verbal and nonverbal modes were strategically configured to create metaphors in three primary ways: hybrid, fused, and juxtaposed forms. Semantically, the interplay of attitude, affect, and judgment formed a cause-effect chain, which was frequently realized through multimodal metaphoric chains, amalgams, and clusters. These metaphoric configurations often exhibited an "F"-shaped spatial distribution, a pattern that would effectively capture consumer attention and elicited positive evaluations. These findings shed light on the designing of the advertisements and offer insights into the cultural nuances embedded in Chinese advertising practices.