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【Abstract】Metaphor as a rhetorical device is widely used in advertisements，many scholars has studied metaphors in advertisements from rhetoric and semantic perspectives.However with the development of cognitive linguistics，it provides a new aspect for metaphor study.Metaphor is not only a rhetorical device but also a method of thinking.More efficient and positive information in advertisements can be conveyed to consumers by using cognitive metaphor.This paper explores the effect and influence of conceptual metaphor in commercial advertisement.
【Key Words】metaphor； conceptual metaphor theory； commercial advertisement；
In modern society，advertisement is an important part in our life.Not only important information，but also appreciative value can be conveyed to customers by Advertisement.The consumers are less interested in the advertising information itself，so a successful advertisement should attract people’s attention and impress them with special language expression，arousing their strong purchasing motivation.In order to achieve a desired effect，most of the time advertisement needs invisible and unconscious mental understanding.Metaphor as a rhetoric device has been widely used in advertisements.
With the publication of Lakoff and Jonoson’s Metaphors We Live By，metaphor research transfers from language level to cognitive level.Metaphor is not only a rhetorical device but also a method of thinking.The way we construal the world is based on several conceptual metaphor.Conceptual Metaphor Theory （CMT） can explain the process how people understand advertisement.In a commercial，metaphor is an integration of words，images，sounds or meanings.More efficient and positive information in advertisements can be conveyed to consumers by using cognitive metaphor.
Shu Dinfang （2000） treats metaphor as a cognitive phenomenon.Metaphor as a cognitive means is not only limited to language.It can also be applied to painting，building and other visual media of communication.Rather than basing on functional grammar，Huang Guowen （2001） discussed advertisements about headlines’ language function，narration in advertisements and ode from metaphor perspective.Metaphor can help us understand new things through the ones we already know.Wang Lihao （2004） explores the metaphorical multifunction of advertisement.Other scholars even study the dynamic construction of multimodal metaphor and metonymy in advertisements like Zhu Yongsheng （2007），Zhang Hui （2011） and Feng Zhengde （2011）. 1 Conceptual Metaphor Theory
Lakoff and Johnson’s published of Metaphors We Live By established the cognitive approach to metaphor.There are four basic concepts in conceptual metaphor： source domain，target domain，image schema and mapping.Xie Zhijun （2007） points out that the understanding of conceptual metaphor should pay attention to four points： （1） conceptual metaphor can be called metaphorical concept （2） “metaphorical concept” is not language expression itself though which limits the deep expression of language； （3） “metaphorical concept” is inducted from daily life； （4） metaphorical concept should have “generating” ability of language，that is its systematic character.
Lakoff （1980） categorized conceptual metaphor as structural metaphor，orientational metaphor，and ontological metaphor.There are three kinds of metaphor according to Lakoff： structural metaphor，orientational metaphor and ontological metaphor.For example： “TIME IS MONEY” is a structural metaphor.Any word that can talk about money can be used to describe time.Time is as valuable as money in this sense.People spend time，waste time and save time.People can get a better understanding of time by the concept of money.“HAPPY IS UP” is an orientational metaphor.The fact that the concept HAPPY is oriented UP leads advertisement to express I’m feeling up.Metaphor involves a mapping from source domains to target domains.
2 Conceptual Metaphor Used in Commercial Advertisment
In advertisement，people use things known to all to explain what is new to us.The nature of metaphor is to combine two different domains together.Metaphor is regarded as an essential method of communication form used in commercial advertisement.So the advertising designer should find a delicate metaphor fitting to the product，and makes sure that this metaphor can convey the connotative information to the consumers.
For example： Cars should eat their vegetables，too.
The advertisement is from one of the world’s biggest petroleum companies in London.The headline，makes it clear that fuel to the car is just as the vegetable to human being.Human needs vegetables，so fuel is also essential for cars.In this advertisement，cars needing fuel is the target domain while human eating vegetables is the source domain.The car is personified as a person，and this personification metaphor can be further elaborated as car is a vegetarian.The advertiser wants to give an impression that the car as a vegetarian and he demanding about the food.The purpose of this advertisement is to arouse the address’s curiosity and pay special attention to the food一vegetable，for the car.This advertisement use delicate language and rhetorical device to catch people’s attention. Metaphor is not only a kind of language phenomenon，but also a method of thinking.The metaphoric structure can not only express physical information but also cultural information.
Pepsi’s advertisement in China and America，it refledts different cultural background in different countries..
Taste that beats the other cold （America ）
Pepsi，the king of cold （China）
The first one comes from America，while the second one comes from China.Advertisement in America implies equal and free competition.The word beat tells you even normal people can struggle to be famous and Pepsi also has the same experience.Once you have Pepsi，you’ll never want other cold.While Chinese culture stresses harmony and won’t use critical language.King is a noble notion and is the symbol of a country.The characters of king in the source domain can be reflected in Pepsi which is the target domain.This advertisement implies Pepsi’s nobility and its irreplaceable.By using cognitive metaphor，people can easily remember this cold and will have a well impression of it.The thinking pattern and cultural background can also expressed metaphor in advertisements.The commercial use this kind of strategy to sell their products.
As it has shown above，combined with conceptual metaphor，the advertisement seems to be easier to understand and more acceptable to audience.It is much easier to get the quality of unknown things by what we already know.
3 Coclusion
In the new information era，advertisements appear everywhere，and most people cannot avoid being affected by ads.Advertisment as a special genre，has its own unique characters and elements.Metaphors play an important role in advertising.They arouse strong curiosity for the addressees to purchase or accept the products or services advertised.This paper explores the effect of conceptual metaphor in advertisement.
After the Conceptual Metaphor Theory was raised by Lakoff and Johnson in 1980，the study of metaphor has become a hotspot in research，and numerous studies on metaphor are conducted.The study of conceptual metaphor used in advertisements has become a trend.However，blending theory is rarely explored compared to conceptual metaphor theory.Much work still need on blending theory explaining advertisements.
References：
[1]Edward， F.M.and J.P.Barbara， （2005） Indirect persuasion in advertising： how consumers process metaphors presented in pictures and words.Journal of Advertising， 34（2）： 7-21.
[2]Lakoff， G.
【Key Words】metaphor； conceptual metaphor theory； commercial advertisement；
In modern society，advertisement is an important part in our life.Not only important information，but also appreciative value can be conveyed to customers by Advertisement.The consumers are less interested in the advertising information itself，so a successful advertisement should attract people’s attention and impress them with special language expression，arousing their strong purchasing motivation.In order to achieve a desired effect，most of the time advertisement needs invisible and unconscious mental understanding.Metaphor as a rhetoric device has been widely used in advertisements.
With the publication of Lakoff and Jonoson’s Metaphors We Live By，metaphor research transfers from language level to cognitive level.Metaphor is not only a rhetorical device but also a method of thinking.The way we construal the world is based on several conceptual metaphor.Conceptual Metaphor Theory （CMT） can explain the process how people understand advertisement.In a commercial，metaphor is an integration of words，images，sounds or meanings.More efficient and positive information in advertisements can be conveyed to consumers by using cognitive metaphor.
Shu Dinfang （2000） treats metaphor as a cognitive phenomenon.Metaphor as a cognitive means is not only limited to language.It can also be applied to painting，building and other visual media of communication.Rather than basing on functional grammar，Huang Guowen （2001） discussed advertisements about headlines’ language function，narration in advertisements and ode from metaphor perspective.Metaphor can help us understand new things through the ones we already know.Wang Lihao （2004） explores the metaphorical multifunction of advertisement.Other scholars even study the dynamic construction of multimodal metaphor and metonymy in advertisements like Zhu Yongsheng （2007），Zhang Hui （2011） and Feng Zhengde （2011）. 1 Conceptual Metaphor Theory
Lakoff and Johnson’s published of Metaphors We Live By established the cognitive approach to metaphor.There are four basic concepts in conceptual metaphor： source domain，target domain，image schema and mapping.Xie Zhijun （2007） points out that the understanding of conceptual metaphor should pay attention to four points： （1） conceptual metaphor can be called metaphorical concept （2） “metaphorical concept” is not language expression itself though which limits the deep expression of language； （3） “metaphorical concept” is inducted from daily life； （4） metaphorical concept should have “generating” ability of language，that is its systematic character.
Lakoff （1980） categorized conceptual metaphor as structural metaphor，orientational metaphor，and ontological metaphor.There are three kinds of metaphor according to Lakoff： structural metaphor，orientational metaphor and ontological metaphor.For example： “TIME IS MONEY” is a structural metaphor.Any word that can talk about money can be used to describe time.Time is as valuable as money in this sense.People spend time，waste time and save time.People can get a better understanding of time by the concept of money.“HAPPY IS UP” is an orientational metaphor.The fact that the concept HAPPY is oriented UP leads advertisement to express I’m feeling up.Metaphor involves a mapping from source domains to target domains.
2 Conceptual Metaphor Used in Commercial Advertisment
In advertisement，people use things known to all to explain what is new to us.The nature of metaphor is to combine two different domains together.Metaphor is regarded as an essential method of communication form used in commercial advertisement.So the advertising designer should find a delicate metaphor fitting to the product，and makes sure that this metaphor can convey the connotative information to the consumers.
For example： Cars should eat their vegetables，too.
The advertisement is from one of the world’s biggest petroleum companies in London.The headline，makes it clear that fuel to the car is just as the vegetable to human being.Human needs vegetables，so fuel is also essential for cars.In this advertisement，cars needing fuel is the target domain while human eating vegetables is the source domain.The car is personified as a person，and this personification metaphor can be further elaborated as car is a vegetarian.The advertiser wants to give an impression that the car as a vegetarian and he demanding about the food.The purpose of this advertisement is to arouse the address’s curiosity and pay special attention to the food一vegetable，for the car.This advertisement use delicate language and rhetorical device to catch people’s attention. Metaphor is not only a kind of language phenomenon，but also a method of thinking.The metaphoric structure can not only express physical information but also cultural information.
Pepsi’s advertisement in China and America，it refledts different cultural background in different countries..
Taste that beats the other cold （America ）
Pepsi，the king of cold （China）
The first one comes from America，while the second one comes from China.Advertisement in America implies equal and free competition.The word beat tells you even normal people can struggle to be famous and Pepsi also has the same experience.Once you have Pepsi，you’ll never want other cold.While Chinese culture stresses harmony and won’t use critical language.King is a noble notion and is the symbol of a country.The characters of king in the source domain can be reflected in Pepsi which is the target domain.This advertisement implies Pepsi’s nobility and its irreplaceable.By using cognitive metaphor，people can easily remember this cold and will have a well impression of it.The thinking pattern and cultural background can also expressed metaphor in advertisements.The commercial use this kind of strategy to sell their products.
As it has shown above，combined with conceptual metaphor，the advertisement seems to be easier to understand and more acceptable to audience.It is much easier to get the quality of unknown things by what we already know.
3 Coclusion
In the new information era，advertisements appear everywhere，and most people cannot avoid being affected by ads.Advertisment as a special genre，has its own unique characters and elements.Metaphors play an important role in advertising.They arouse strong curiosity for the addressees to purchase or accept the products or services advertised.This paper explores the effect of conceptual metaphor in advertisement.
After the Conceptual Metaphor Theory was raised by Lakoff and Johnson in 1980，the study of metaphor has become a hotspot in research，and numerous studies on metaphor are conducted.The study of conceptual metaphor used in advertisements has become a trend.However，blending theory is rarely explored compared to conceptual metaphor theory.Much work still need on blending theory explaining advertisements.
References：
[1]Edward， F.M.and J.P.Barbara， （2005） Indirect persuasion in advertising： how consumers process metaphors presented in pictures and words.Journal of Advertising， 34（2）： 7-21.
[2]Lakoff， G.