Image Schema of Balance in Marketing Discourse: A Multimodal Discourse Analysis of Facebook Advertising in Pakistan

Abstract

This paper attempts to identify the features of the image schema of balance in the marketing discourse of Pakistani Facebook Multimodal Advertisements. Image schemas are mental patterns that directly structure our experience with the world. Balance image schema is one of the most important schemas used largely in almost every type of discourse. The research design is descriptive for this study. Through the purposive sampling technique, six Pakistani Facebook Multimodal Advertisements were chosen. The study’s findings show that the creator of the advertisements fully exploited the significance of the relevant schemas to grab the viewers’ attention. The image schema of balance represents equilibrium and stability and is a potent metaphor to convey various themes such as quality, health, value, sustainability, and safety. Further studies are recommended to find out the diverse use of image schema of balance in other modes of expression.