Metaphorical Framing
How describing complex ideas through familiar comparisons shapes perception and how to apply metaphorical framing in marketing campaigns.
In this issue
Hey 👋 The Crew here.
If you thought “going out for a drink” with friends or coworkers is exclusive to humans… well.
A group of chimpanzees was spotted sharing fermented—or alcoholic—fruit, suggesting that we’ve actually inherited this social behavior from our distant relatives.
Let’s just hope apes are keeping this entire ordeal civilized.
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You’ve heard of the “explain-it-like-I’m-five” (ELI5) phenomenon online, right?
It’s when users ask for a simplified explanation of a complex topic, or a topic that they don’t know much about. The “kid version,” if you will.
This is relevant, because as marketers, we need to get our messages across as simply as possible.
And tactics like the ELI5 phenomenon are how one of Apple’s most famous ads became the iPod’s “1000 songs in your pocket.”
But really, ELI5 is just a clever use of Metaphorical Framing.
This is the ability to describe or explain something abstract, unfamiliar, or complex by comparing it to something concrete and familiar through metaphor.
Of course, the metaphor we choose subtly shapes how people think and feel about the topic.
From Shakespeare’s “All the world’s a stage,” to Forrest Gump’s “Life is like a box of chocolates,” you’ve experienced hundreds of these frames in your everyday life.
And more importantly, you’ve experienced them in marketing. Because this tactic works… when it’s done well.
Three ways to leverage Metaphorical Framing
Make the abstract solution feel tangible
Use physical or sensory metaphors to explain intangible ideas like trust or value.
When you go to NordVPN’s landing page, it promises to keep your data safe.
… But not from behavioral data harvesters, bots, ISPs, et cetera. Your everyday internet user doesn’t understand these terms.
Instead, NordVPN uses a much more provocative metaphor: Prying eyes.
This translates technical risk into emotional urgency, triggering your protective instinct and making you feel like creepy voyeurs are out there, watching you.
It makes the need for protection relatable. And immediate.
For higher-end products, negative metaphors work better
Did you know that negative metaphors can lead to positive campaign performance?
It sounds counterintuitive, but a 2015 study by Yang and Hsu published in Psychology and Behavioral Sciences may confirm this.
According to the experiment, practical products like insurance or cleaning supplies benefit from positive metaphorical framing—such as “make your home sparkle.”
… But luxury and symbolic products can often work better if you pair them with negative metaphors.
“Don’t want to be invisible? Wear our glasses.”
Or in the case of Ray Ban, it’s more like “never hide.” Which is a clever metaphor for standing out in the crowd.
Use clear support text alongside metaphorical visuals
One study showed that consumers experience a higher sense of appreciation if you know how to pair visual metaphors with text.
The results:
- If the visual metaphor was overly complex, people liked the ad to have more literal text to explain it clearly.
- If the image was medium-complex, they preferred it to be more implicit.
- If the visual metaphor was obvious, then they didn’t even need the text.
Here is an example where the image seems medium-complex, with another text-based metaphoric layer to push the idea a little further:
The text brings the problem closer and doesn’t seem redundant… or does it?
Either way, a visual metaphor like this makes you feel something.
Which is essential if you want to get someone to notice your message—and ultimately buy from you.
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GOOGLE:…is getting ready to mood board. The tech giant will launch a Pinterest-like feature that shows image-based results which users can save in themed folders. Why now? Maybe because text queries are driving less clicks and traffic, for one.
AI MARKETING: Still charging by the hour? You might want to rethink your pricing model, because AI is speeding up repetitive tasks. If you’re getting things done faster and better, charging based on output or value might make more sense. Just something to consider.
SEARCH: Google is testing a new feature called Discussions which lets users comment directly on search topics. It’s currently in beta and is showing up in certain results. Sounds familiar? If you immediately thought “Reddit,” you’re right. It does seem like it…
TIKTOK:Say hello to AI Alive, TikTok’s new feature for animating still images with AI, basically turning them into short videos. You’ll find it in the Story Camera. Could be good for engagement, as long as it doesn’t add anything weird…
ICYMI, last time we looked at Groupthink.
The “Poetic” Crew
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