Metaphors in Awareness Advertising: A Cognitive Sociolinguistic Analysis

Abstract

The present research is built on the ground of the usage of metaphor in social awareness advertising, and it is particularly regarding the Linguistic types of metaphor as well as theories of metaphor. It takes the general theoretical approach of cognitive sociolinguistics and the main analytical approach of Interaction Model and considers how metaphors are employed as cognitive tools that can actively shape sociological thinking, values and actions. This study is a reflection of the larger issue of the function of figurative language as a medium between individual cognition and a collective social product. The metaphor is not considered a stylistic figure of speech or a semi-peripherial element of the text, but it is considered an integral part of cognition, which involves the public understanding of the text's message and determines the perception of the reader. Whether in public communication contexts or in other genres of discourse, this shift from metaphor as aesthetic to metaphor as cognitive is a significant one and has broad implications for the analysis of persuasive discourse. The obtained results confirm the idea that the use of metaphor is not only a language level; it is an effective cognitive tool that influences the construal process of social reality and is an important part in the process of building public awareness. The results suggest the need for a more systematic and theoretically grounded handling of metaphor as a tool in the social area of "awareness and advocacy communication".