Decoding Visual Metaphors in Print Banking Advertisements in India

Abstract

Banks play a pivotal role in driving economic development, particularly in developing countries like India, where they function as primary financial intermediaries. In this context, print advertisements remain a credible and culturally resonant medium for communicating complex financial services to a diverse audience. Despite their continued relevance, the structural design and communicative effectiveness of Indian banking print advertisements, especially the role of visual metaphors (VMs), have not been systematically examined. This study addresses this gap through a four-phase research design. The first phase involved a bibliometric and thematic literature review to identify key trends and research gaps. In the second phase, a taxonomy of banking advertisements was developed through content analysis and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), identifying nine core design components, with visual metaphors emerging as a critical component. The third phase comprised a comparative study of advertisements with and without VMs, exploring audience responses across gender. Findings indicated a clear preference for VM-based ads and revealed gender-specific interpretative patterns. In the final phase, an experimental study involving 1,044 participants evaluated the likability of three VM typologies - juxtaposition, fusion, and replacement. Results showed that replacement metaphors consistently outperformed the other types, with notable gender-based variations in response. The study provides important theoretical and practical insights for designing effective and gender-sensitive visual communication strategies in the context of Indian banking advertisements.