Some Visual Strategies in Symbolic Illustrated Advertising

Some symbolic illustrated advertising may remind one of emblems. It is certainly visual culture, but it is also an aspect of emblematics in the material culture. I write from a European perspective, drawing largely on European and American publications. The AIDA formula well sums up the purposes of commercial advertising, and is said to consist of attracting Attention, arousing Interest, creating Desire, and motivating Action. In commercial advertising the desired action is the sale of a product or service. This calls for strategies of persuasion, which can be described rhetorically or thematically. I prefer the thematic approach, and have decided that least following strategies will be discovered: recognition and surprise, riddle and puzzle, wit and humour, patriotism, famous persons, myth, ethnicity, Bible and Christian tradition, and nature, environment and ecology. These are not listed hierarchically and a given ad may employ several of these strategies. KEYWORDS: Emblems; Advertising; Advertising Strategies