Visual metaphors and white space: How the visual rhetorical language in advertising influences consumer responses to paradox brands

Paradoxical brands are very common in the marketplace, and increasing the appeal of paradoxical brands to consumers is not only an important challenge for marketers but also a key issue for scholars. Based on psychobiological dual system theory, the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, and high-low context culture theory, this study examines the effects, mechanisms, and boundary conditions of visual metaphor ads with extended white space on consumers' responses to paradoxical brands. The results of the three experiments showed that visual metaphor ads with extended (vs. limited) white space increased consumers' favorable evaluations and preferences for paradoxical brands by serially increasing their aesthetic pleasure and cognitive flexibility. In addition, these indirect effects were more pronounced in high-context cultures and were not observed in low-context cultures. This study not only makes important theoretical contributions but also provides new managerial insights into how managers can effectively promote paradoxical brands.