Visual Persuasion: The Role of Images in Advertising

“More recently, scholars have gone so far as to claim that “nowadays, examples of visual claims that would be unacceptable in verbal form can be found in most kinds of advertising” (Messaris 1997, p. 225).”

“While images lack a visual syntax that can convey precise relationships among objects or ideas, images can be juxtaposed to suggest associations, causal connections, contrasts, analogies, and generalizations (Blair, 2004; Messaris, 1997).”

“…of selective self-presentation to online photographs, and discusses issues of self-deception and social desirability bias. doi:10.1111/j.1460-2466.2009.01420.x Presenting ourselves to the world is a fundamental and complex process (Goffman, 1959), one that has been further complicated by…”

“Messaris [ 32 ] tested viewers’ perceptions of the meanings of simple shapes and found that triangles were rated among the most potent and active, rectangles were less active, and ellipses were given the lowest scores.”

“The romantic gaze is gazing in solitude at undisturbed natural beauty (Urry, 1995), and in travel photos this gaze is usually posed as facing away from camera as a comment on the other-worldly beauty of nature (Messaris, 1997).”

“The study results offer support to the notion of visual persuasion (Messaris, 1997) such that viewers may be more persuaded by implicit visual arguments because (a) those arguments require more cognitive processing and elaboration; and (b) people are more likely to adopt propositions that they have…”

“1980), and few would question the unique persuasive influence of visual images (Messaris 1997).”

“Media literacy also involves the processes by which individuals take up cultural texts differently depending on their interests and positioning in various social and historical contexts (Messaris, 1997); and how production techniques of each medium interact with content elements to create meaning (Heiligmann & Shields…”

“…þ friends posts may reflect the traditional lifestyle format ads on print media that are demonstrated by the juxtaposition of a product (e.g., a lipstick) with the social context of the product ’ s usage (e.g., a group of friends is wearing the promoted make-up at a party) (Messaris 1997).”

“We drew upon previous studies of commercial products and advertising to see how other researchers defined their objects of analysis (Messaris, 1997; Scott, 1994).”

“Third, the strategic approach studies visual representations as rhetorical devices that aim at impacting their audiences (e.g. Lefsrud, Graves, & Phillips, 2018; Messaris, 1997).”

“A balanced composition is thought to evoke the descriptive concept of propriety, while an unbalanced one connotes the concept iconoclastic (Messaris 1997).”

“As a result, image-based, soft-sell appeals tend to elicit more implicit and abstract responses (Messaris 1997), whose interpretation may require less culturally specific cues.”

“Finally, one may argue that the already mentioned eyewitness camera, zoom-in, and zoom-out indicate proximity of a message in a sensory way because these techniques are helpful in simulating real life observations (cf. Messaris, 1997, pp. 3–5).”

“As Messaris (1997) notes, the lack of a clear visual ‘syntax’ makes visual meaning fluid and indeterminate, and strongly dependent on the viewers’ interpretational predispositions.”

“in other domains in terms of consumerism and identity (Massaris, 1997).”

“According to Messaris’s theory of visual persuasion, 14 visual messages could enhance persuasion because visual signs not only re-semble the signified (i.e., icon) but also serve as a proof of what happened (i.e., index).”

“Thus, visual mis-and disinformation may be particularly persuading (see Messaris, 1997) and could have damaging effects for democratic governance.”

“The term ‘visual communication’ is an extremely broad one, with research on visuals and imagery having roots in a number of academic disciplines and fields (e.g., Messaris, 1997; King, 2014; Zillmann, 2002).”

“Through the ability to elicit emotional cues and presentation of implicit association, comparisons, or correlations, visuals can convey affective and cognitive information at a glance (Barry, 1997; Messaris, 1997).”

“In the marketing field, there have been notable contributions (e.g. Messaris 1994, 1997, Scott, 1994, McQuarrie and Mick 1996, Schroeder 2002).”

“This aspect of visual language has been explored extensively by Edward Tufte (1983, 1990, 1997) in a series of books describing the conventions of various types of information displays.”

“Messaris (1997) notes that judging consequential deception stemming from the visual dimension of advertising is difficult because, unlike written language, visual communication lacks explicit propositional syntax to guide interpretation of elements. researchers have attempted to demonstrate…”

“Furthermore, research in semiotics argues that using mental simulations conveyed by pictures cannot include explicit arguments (Messaris, 1997)— hence, a risk that consumers lack guidance to merge the RNP with their usage patterns.”

“This is particularly true for absurd ads employing visually rich images for which a message recipient may spontaneously generate idiosyncratic interpretation and elaboration because of the syntactic indeterminacy of visual images (Messaris 1997).”

“challenge faced by video sharing sites is being able to attract advertisement to the user generated content, particularly given that some of it is deemed to be “unwatchable” [3], and advertisers are typically reluctant to place their clients’ brands next to any material that may damage their clients’ reputations [4].”

“Their indexical quality constitutes the “potential value of photographs as evidence” (Messaris 1998: 130).”

“Eat Popcorn” and “Drink Coca-Cola”, he claimed, had increased the sales of popcorn by over 50% and the sales of refreshments by at least one-fifth (Phillips 1997; Messaris 1997; Rutherford 1995).”

“Moreover, presentation techniques, i.e., camera angle or shot type, can impact the perceived image of the depicted person (Mandell and Shaw 1973; Messaris 1997; Graber 2001; Schill 2012).”

“For example, results suggested a strong association between visual symmetry and brand sophistication; indeed, luxury brands often adopt a classical style characterized by calmness, order, and idealism, in which symmetry is a fundamental characteristic (Messaris, 1997).”

“Content analysis of photographs (Schwartz, 1989) or advertising (Messaris, 1997) may provide insights into the marketing situation.”

“For example, color could increase the iconicity of photographic representations and thereby elicit more powerful and positive emotional responses (Messaris, 1997).”

“For example, in a marketing domain, visual documents have been recognized as efficient means in advertisements since they can convey meanings that cannot be expressed using words [1].”

“We have removed the interaction with CRT from the paper to increase clarity and focus on the main results from the additional experiments 2-4.”

“Some define content as the semantic elements of the message presented through textual, visual, and audio modalities, while format is seen as the syntactic structure of these semantic elements (Messaris, 1997).”

“Mountains, mystery, and adventure are de rigueur in marketing campaigns for sport-utility vehicles (Messaris, 1997).”

“…distortions in the sense that we have “an eyecatching departure from the appearance of a previously familiar object,” which functions to gain our attention because it traps the “brain’s ‘dictionary search’ between a familiar object or situation and a new or unfamiliar one” (Messaris, 1997, p.19).”

“Future research should incorporate more visual persuasion research (see Messaris 1997; King et al. 2014), testing other design strategies to appeal to users for favourable website impressions.”

“Photographs and videos can be seen as indexical signs of the objects and events portrayed in them and imply an evidential connection between reality and representations (Messaris, 1997).”

“, visual persuasion theory (Messaris, 1997)) and mass communication (i.”

“When a figure on a poster appears to make eye contact with a passerby, the passerby may feel directly addressed (Mes- saris, 1997).”

“[48] Paul Messaris, Visual Persuasion: The Role of Images in Advertising (London: Sage, 1997), 41.”

“As to visuals’ cognitive contribution, it may be possible for pictures alone to create a coherent argument through context and juxtaposition (e.g., Messaris, 1997; Morgan & Welton, 1992; Novitz, 1977).”

“E-mail: nteng@sinica.edu.tw field have identified two distinctive types of pictorial tropes, namely, pictorial metaphor and pictorial simile, and offered theoretical explanations of them (e.g., Forceville, 1994, 1996; Kaplan, 1990, 1992; Messaris, 1997).”

“Images, on the other hand, are perceived in a more holistic way and elicit more emotional responses than textual claims (Messaris, 1997).”

“For example, one distinct characteristic associated with iconic image is its ability to evoke a certain emotion (Joffe, 2008; Messaris, 1997), but in general, it is unlikely to be true to figures or tables.”

“The visualizing power of images has been also proven to trigger viewers’ emotions effectively (Messaris, 1997).”

“As Messaris (1997) contends, far less accountability exists for the visual message as compared to the verbal, where there are high expectations for presentational accuracy.”

“…de fi ning the success of images in the context of advertising (e.g., images can successfully capture attention by being surprising or even shocking; Messaris, 1997), most existing research on visual aesthetics is aimed at understanding and predicting image appeal (Palmer, Schloss, & Sammartino,…”

“This is also emphasized by Messaris (1997) who argued that the sense of sight, beside the purpose of receiving attention, can elicit an emotional response towards a product and other things.”

“Visual metaphors are rhetorical figures that creatively merge two visuals and can be instrumental for messages that must be appealing and efficiently convey complex information (Messaris, 1997).”

“Imagery is useful pedagogically for attracting student attention and illustrating local relevance (Messaris, 1997; O’Neill & Nicholson-Cole, 2009).”

“It might also be problematically indirect, with images attached to articles with no explanation, no factual connection, or as a rhetorical device that says what words can (or should) not (Barnhurst, 1994; Becker, 2003; Messaris, 1997; Sekula, 1984; Tagg, 1999; Zelizer, 2005, 2006).”

“In addition, the paper proposes that Syntactic Indeterminacy (SI) provides a plausible mechanism to explain why higher levels of message processing are observed in fast-paced, graphic, and arousing PSAs (Messaris, 1997).”

“Consumer culture is characterized by an intense realism, as is made obvious by its massive use of images, photographs and hyperrealistic style (Messaris, 1997), a quality that, as communication scholar Messaris suggests, heightens the viewer’s illusion she is interacting with the real world.”

“To capture consumers’ attention and not go by unnoticed, advertisers apply several creative tactics (Messaris 1997).”

“First, experiments on the way viewers perceive the meaning of simple shapes have been conducted and reported by Hartmut Espe and Martin Krampen, in unpublished research, and replicated in part by Paul Messaris (1997).”

“For example, a substantial body of research has shown that pictures can increase the effect of advertisements, in part, because pictures can projectmeanings that cannot be expressed via words ormusic (Messaris, 1996).”

“This two-channel cue provision notion finds parallels in research on advertising (Messaris 1997; Peracchio and Meyers-Levy 2005), attitudes (Chaiken and Maheswaran 1994; Petty, Cacioppo, and Schumann 1983), and embodied cognition (Chae and Hoegg 2013; Sundar and Noseworthy 2014).”

“Others have made similar points (Fowles, 1996; Goffman, 1979; Messaris, 1997; Mulvey, 1975).”