McQuarrie and Mick (2003) retest whether rhetorical figures such as rhyme and metaphor still help when people are not told to study the ads.

Ads containing visual and verbal figures, placed in a 32-page magazine, are recalled more often and liked better. Visual figures are more effective whether people are directed to process the ads or only come across them. Verbal figures perform better only when people are directed to process the ads.

Method

Ads with visual figures and ads with verbal figures are embedded in a 32-page magazine meant to be interesting to the readers. The experiment manipulates directed processing versus incidental exposure. Outcomes are recall and liking.

Main findings

  • Figures help. Ads with rhetorical figures are recalled more often and liked better.
  • Pictures survive a glance. Visual figures are more effective regardless of whether processing is directed or incidental.
  • Words need the assignment. Verbal figures perform better only when people are directed to process the ads.

Why this is in the Darwin index

This is the exposure test beside McQuarrie and Mick (1999) on visual rhetoric. A figure in the picture still works when the reader was not asked to look. A figure in the words needs that instruction.

Source of record: doi:10.1086/346252.