Multimodal Metaphors and Mirror Neurons' Analysis in Spanish TV Commercials (original) (raw)

2010, eprints UCM (Master Dissertation)

In the last years, multimodal metaphors have been a subject of analysis within the field of Critical Discourse Analysis. It is of special remark the work carried out by Charles Forceville in this matter. Nevertheless, none of the current researches on the field has focused its study on a comparative study of multimodal metaphors and mirror neurons activation's devices in TV advertisements. Thus, my project will be based on a cognitive study of Spanish TV commercials, with special attention on the neuronal and metaphoric processes through which the information is conveyed. My theme departs from a Neuromarketing panorama review, in which mirror neurons are of a great interest. From the sales and neuromarketing perspective, these brain cells interfere in the way the viewer receives the message, feels the product and even, empathizes with the brand. Furthermore, in this paper it is shown that creative metaphors occurring in spots, usually draw on a combination of language, pictures and non-verbal sound. Commercials are then discussed from the point of view of multimodal metaphors or figurative meaning emerging from several modes, and the way these metaphors serve to study nowadays marketing directions. Finally, both the perspective of mirror neurons and the study of the multimodal metaphor construal are analysed as two complementary means so as to advertise a product. The materials used in my research consist in a compilation of TV commercials projected in Spain in the latest years. On the basis of the case studies analysed, the results showed that marketing on TV has not a unique direction. However, these ads manifest several cognitive processes operating at the same time in the realm of the unconscious mind. Therefore, customers reduce their faculty of conscious decision making and in this way, buying turns up to be more than a simple question of needs and preferences.