The Use of Artwork Images in Advertising: A Visual Rhetorical Analysis

ABSTRACT: Today, consumption of many products which are not different from each other when their usage values into consideration play a role for the formation of social identities of individuals. At this point, advertisers -to increase the consumption- emphasize that people may have extra positive values in the social structure by having “that” product which is advertised. For this purpose, advertisers use various methods to influence and persuade. One of these methods is to create a rhetorical form of expression in the advertisement. Rhetoric which is the purpose to persuade the audience with the usage of figurative language is a method used in advertising communication today. Moreover, this usage in advertising communication does not need only the formation of verbal figures. Figurative expression created through visual images is analyzed into the area of rhetoric and it is called as “visual rhetoric.” At this point, in an effort to create a visual rhetorical language, variety of visual elements used as a message transmitter in the advertisements. One of these, the usage of artwork images in advertisements to constitute a visual rhetorical language. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to examine the visual rhetorical language of print advertisements which use the well known artworks of Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent Van Gogh and Maurtis Cornelis Escher. Keywords: Advertising, Work of Art, Visual Rhetoric. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………