Two Powerful Examples of Cultural Marketing Metaphors

by | May 11, 2012 | Marketing

A cultural metaphor is strong because it references cultural icons shared by a brand’s consumers. Of the three types of brand metaphors, this one has the most potential to slide into “themeiness.” But when it’s executed well, it can also be the most useful as a source of creativity and inspiration because cultural icons are so ingrained in us.

Coke is an olive branch

In many of their campaigns over the years, Coca-Cola has (consciously or unconsciously) used the brand metaphor of an olive branch. It’s symbol of peace from the 5th century BC in Greece, where it was associated with the goddess of peace, Eirene. The symbol was later adopted in early Christianity, with St. Augustine writing that “perpetual peace is indicated by the olive branch which the dove brought with it when it returned to the ark.” The symbol is rarely used literally anymore, but the symbolic reference has remained part of Western culture.

Over the course of at least five decades, Coca-Cola has been using this brand metaphor to imply that the beverage has an almost magical ability to bring peace (either temporarily or permanently) between conflicting parties.

Apple liberates us from a dystopian future

Apple’s “1984” commercial that introduced the Macintosh computer (developed by Chiat/Day and directed by Ridley Scott) portrayed an unnamed heroine saving people from conformity, borrowing elements from George Orwell’s famous novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four. Orwell’s story describes an authoritarian future, where people are forced into obedience and brainwashed by propaganda from “Big Brother.”

Before he previewed the commercial at the 1983 Apple Keynote address, Steve Jobs said,”It is now 1984. It appears IBM wants it all…. Dealers initially welcoming IBM with open arms now fear an IBM dominated and controlled future. They are increasingly turning back to Apple as the only force that can ensure their future freedom.” This strong use of brand metaphor resulted in this commercial being one of the most memorable and successful American ads of all time.

Tags:
Marketing Fundamentals 2: Target Audience

Marketing Fundamentals 2: Target Audience

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwd2zDI5QvY We're talking about the three layers of marketing, and how you want to start at the bottom by helping your target audience solve a real problem with your unique product. Then, you want to design your customer experience...

Marketing Fundamentals 1: Overview

Marketing Fundamentals 1: Overview

https://youtu.be/xpiC3c1WD7Y Entrepreneurs start out with a lot of misconceptions about how business really works, and that's understandable because nobody really ever teaches them. Marketing, in particular, is one of the least understood concepts by business owners....

This is Marketing in the Real World

This is Marketing in the Real World

I’m trying to teach businesses how marketing works in the real world. I've been involved in some kind of marketing at pretty much every point for the last quarter of a century—which kind of makes me contemplate my own mortality, but whatever. For about half that time,...

Using Content Marketing in a B2B Setting

Using Content Marketing in a B2B Setting

Content marketing is a way of marketing that focuses on creating and sharing valuable content with your audience. The goal is to educate and engage your audience, so they'll want to buy your products or services. It can be used in a number of ways, but for B2B...