Expressions of the past: A practice-based approach of brand longevity visual translation in advertising
Résumé
While “an image is worth a thousand words”, there is limited advertising research looking at the practice of translating abstract marketing concepts into visual elements. This research considers the way that advertising professionals manipulate the concept of brand longevity and through which techniques they make it visible. Thirteen interviews conducted with art directors and graphic designers, as well as a visual content analysis on a corpus of 204 advertisements, lead to identifying a repertoire of visual codes. The findings further describe four types of longevity-themed advertisements: legitimizing, humorous, nostalgic, and aesthetic. This investigation contributes to the literature on brand longevity by showing what it looks like in practice. It also contributes to the broader literature on advertising by introducing the concept of the “visual mix” and the associated idea that graphic design is the craft of articulating visual codes, providing relevant solutions that fit the brand’s positioning.