Conceptual Metaphors and the Ford Hybrid Escape - Essay Example

Conceptual Metaphors and the Ford Hybrid Escape When developing an advertising campaign for a particular product or service, companies are typically single-mindedly focused on how their advertisement can work to better promote their product or service over the competition. Most often, they are so concerned on how to sell their product that they forget to pause and consider how their latest promotion might positively or negatively affect society. However, this same focus enables them to capitalize on growing trends and ideologies in the greater society. Subtle clues within the action or dialogue can manipulate how people react to specific behaviors that may be receiving a new cultural definition. These types of advertisements frequently play on the side of humor, serving to entertain and retrain social standards at the same time. Occasionally, the effect a particular advertisement might have on the public is the primary focus of the ad with the product perceived as a secondary reference. These types of advertisements frequently demonstrate the greater societal need and then feature their product, usually one that helps address the concern in some way, at the extreme end of the commercial, appearing to be almost an afterthought. These messages are conveyed through the use of conceptual metaphors, symbols and language. By examining the visual clues, conceptual metaphors and other aspects of the ad design, the careful observer can not only learn much about the company, but can also assess the advertisement’s impact on societal behavior. The concepts of the conceptual metaphor, the use of symbols and the importance of language choice can be better understood when applied to a physical example such as Kermit the Frog in the television commercial “It Ain’t Easy Being Green” (2006) for the Ford Hybrid Escape. The use of the conceptual metaphor is a powerful tool because it reaches the very core of the way we interpret the world around us. Generally speaking, a conceptual metaphor is defined as a metaphor “that is so basic in the way people think about something that they fail to perceive that it is a metaphor” (“Conceptual Metaphor”, 2007). As a result, the connection, once made, is difficult to block out.. The concept of the conceptual metaphor is brought forward by Lakoff and Johnson, who were building off the ideas of the Greek philosopher Aristotle. “The two scholars add a remarkable twist to the Aristotelian distinction, namely that abstract concepts are linked systematically to concrete ones via metaphor. They refer to the result of the linkage as a conceptual metaphor” (Danesi, 2004: 107). The example provided by Danesi is particularly appropriate for the advertisement under consideration. “For example, the expression the professor is a snake is really a token of something more general, namely, the conceptual metaphor [people are animals]” (Danesi, 2004: 107). Thanks to this deeper understanding of the conceptual metaphor, we are able to replace the first domain, the professor, with any representative of the second domain, the snake. So we could say that Wendy is a Bird or boys are beasts and make the same application to the conceptual metaphor. To facilitate discussion of the conceptual metaphor, the two parts of the statement are distinguished as the ‘source’ domain, which represents the concrete idea, and the ‘target’ domain, which is the more abstract concept. In more scientific terms, the source domain is described as “a set of literal entities, attributes, processes and relationships, linked semantically and apparently stored together in the mind. These are expressed in language through related words and expressions, which can be seen as organized in groups resembling those sometimes described as ‘lexical sets’ or ‘lexical fields’ by linguists (Deignan, 2007). On the other hand, “The ‘target’ domain tends to be abstract, and takes its structure from the source domain, through the metaphorical link, or ‘conceptual metaphor’” (Deignan, 2007). In creating the metaphor, the target domain, which is more abstract, takes on many of the attributes and processes represented in the ‘source’ domain, the more concrete concept. In the process, these target domains also gain the same type of relationship to the outside individual. In our example, the ‘target’ domain is the environmentally conscious or nature-loving consumer while the ‘source’ domain is Kermit the Frog. This is made clear through the frog’s activities as he moves through the commercial; a sense of empathy is established as it sings a song that speaks to the hearts of those consumers who, at the time, were being ridiculed for what was perceived as paranoid sacrifices. The amazing aspect of the conceptual metaphor is in its profundity. When we hear Wendy is a Bird, we think of a woman who is fussy with her feathers, whose thoughts are likely to fly away (or, to use the more common expression, to be ‘flighty’), who is perhaps skittish, who pecks at her food, or who might be very talkative. “Lakoff and Johnson revealed, through theoretical argument supported by empirical investigation, the centrality of metaphor to thought exemplified in the ubiquity of metaphorical forms in everyday, conventional language” (Bailey, 2003). In other words, we are only able to discuss our ideas and beliefs with others through the use of the conceptual metaphor, which itself requires a shared language and cultural base. “Accordingly, we talk about things the way we conceive of them, and this is fashioned through and grounded in experience and culture: our basic conceptual system ‘is fundamentally metaphoric in nature’” (Bailey, 2003). This provides the explanation for the various ways different individuals might gain a different sense of who Wendy is when she is defined as a Bird. “Meaning is a subjective experience in our lives … Messages contain coded meaning and allow us to express or convey the meaning within us”; however, “Messages require rules” (Booth-Butterfield, 2007). When we are trying to share abstract concepts, the rules that convey our meaning, particularly in the realm of conceptual metaphors, but also in language word choice and symbolism, depend to a large degree on how our culture has influenced our ideas of the concrete domain. Thus, in investigating our commercial, it is important to remember that the consumer base is a culture that has grown up with the Muppets as one of their favorite childhood shows, and that Kermit was always associated with doing the right thing, i.e. caring about those around him and overall, being a sympathetic kind of guy with a big dream and the determination to make come true. In Ford’s commercial for their Escape Hybrid, a conceptual metaphor is invoked as Kermit the Frog works to capitalize on the attitudes and beliefs of parents concerned about the quality of life in their children’s future, as well as those who feel responsibility for the environment. The advertisement opens with an image of Kermit the Frog singing “It’s Not Easy Being Green” as he rides his bicycle over a rocky trail through brush-covered hills, paddles his way through rushing rapids through a rocky gorge, climbs a steep cliff looking over a pine-covered mountainside, and finally parts the leaves of thick, bushy undergrowth to reveal the SUV. He peeks inside, giving the advertiser the opportunity to show off the interior, and then walks around to the back where he sees the word “Hybrid” stamped on the side. The song stops as Kermit makes the observation that perhaps “I guess it is easy being green.” Then he stands there and nods his head vigorously, laughing in joy, as he looks at the car while a voice tunes in to tell us that this is “The 36-mile-per-gallon Ford Escape Hybrid.” The commercial ends with a white screen and the car’s name and logo prominently displayed, along with a website address where people can obtain further information.. The website further emphasizes the metaphor presented in the commercial as Kermit, in his guise as a news station reporter, stands by, ready to walk the consumer through the various environmentally-friendly and human comfort attributes of the company’s new 4-wheel drive. There are several ways in which this commercial works to influence the viewer. Firstly, their use of the character Kermit the Frog both conjures up childhood memories for the target demographic, consumers who grew up with Kermit the frog as one of their childhood friends. In addition, it brings to mind thoughts of caring for the children of the world as the character is still a popular star in children’s programs. The metaphor, suggested through Kermit’s journey in the landscape to the environmentally-active consumer, whether through conservation or simple enjoyment and adventure, warms the consumers’ hearts before the product is even in sight. They feel, for a moment, the love and admiration that they felt as children for this character, and begin to develop a desire to be associated with it. The song he sings seems to be the lament of the environmentally conscious everywhere as they struggle to live a healthy, outdoorsy life while continuing to be responsible towards the environment. At the same time, he addresses, through the symbolic difficulty of his journey, how hard it has been for those wishing to reach the faraway places, to do so without damaging the environment. Kermit’s travels through this environment are surrounded by the colour green, introducing a great deal of symbolism that appeals to yet other conceptual metaphors. One interpretation of this journey appeals to the metaphor ‘life is a journey’ both in terms of the individual and of the planet. For example, as Kermit travels a rough and rocky trail on a bicycle, the trail is seen as a dark scar across the face of a beautifully green hillside. This suggests that it has been hard for Mother Earth to remain green with the various stresses that have been put upon her, stresses that Kermit is acting out (neither, he’s representing it) in his own struggles through the commercial. However, the presence of so much green also begins to suggest that perhaps the world is actually full of green, just waiting for someone to recognize it. This is supported by the fact that Kermit’s activities and locations are reminiscent of several of the more popular activities that people engage in while on vacation. Vacations, of course, represent relaxation and enjoyment, not the struggle and effort suggested in Kermit’s song. Finally, the fact that Kermit finds the SUV at the top of the mountain suggests that he was able to overcome all of the challenges that he had already gone through during the course of the commercial. The way the truck is parked, on what appears to be an open glade naturally designed for the vehicle, further negates the idea that it is harmful to the environment, not even leaving the kind of deep scar worn into the hillside by Kermit’s bike. Not only is it environmentally friendly and frog-approved, it is spacious and rugged as well. By simply announcing the name and the gas mileage, the advertiser gives off the impression that this is all a person needs to know about this vehicle to make it worth buying. The metaphor that has been established between the frog and the consumer has now been transferred over to the truck, making it a natural match for the buyer. Through use of the conceptual metaphor, a relationship is developed between the product being advertised, the spokesperson, and the consumer base, which is difficult to ignore, because of the depth of the relationship formed in the space of a 30 second commercial. The consumer watching the commercial quickly identifies with the frog on TV as he echoes their grief from a variety of viewpoints. From the busy city wife who tries to recycle everything, to the active outdoorsman who uses his weekends to participate in the activities shown, the target audience recognizes Kermit as one of their trustworthy childhood friends, and the connection between them is reforged. At the same time, empathy for the environment is encouraged as Kermit highlights the many things that can be appreciated in nature through his song. When he finally reveals the product being advertised, his hearty approval of the truck acts as a bridge between the consumer and the truck, transferring all the positive attributes to the truck that have been conveyed through Kermit, and the consumer’s identification with him. This is a process that occurs in the subconscious mind in a matter of seconds, thanks in large measure to the strong cultural identification, and conceptual metaphor. Works Cited Bailey, Richard. “Conceptual Metaphor, Language, Literature and Pedagogy.” Journal of Language and Learning. Vol. 1, N. 2, (2003). November 11, 2007 Booth-Butterfield, Steve. “Human Communication: I Talk Therefore I Am.” Healthy Influence: Communication for a Change. Vol. 2, (2007). November 12, 2007 “Conceptual Metaphor.” Open Politics. (2007). November 12, 2007 Danesi, Marcel. A Basic Course in Anthropological Linguistics. Toronto: Canadian Scholars Press, 2004. Deignan, Alice. “Conceptual Metaphor Theory.” Metaphor Analysis Project. (2007). The Open University. November 12, 2007 “It Aint Easy Being Green.” (2006). Ford. November 10, 2007 Read More