Abstract
This interdisciplinary research explores the rhetorical and semiological concepts that examine the power, the practice, and the techniques employed by advertisers in cross-cultural settings. While sexual connotations dominate Western advertising, the Iranian government mandates that advertising agencies create ads that comply with Islamic law. A comparative analysis of semiological and rhetorical patterns in women's products advertising in Iran and the U.S. reveals that, despite restrictions, Iranian advertisers try to follow the Western canon of rhetoric. This study creates a prototype for critical analysis of persuasive images in different societies and suggests that advertising reflects the culture and also contributes to its constant change.
© 2011 Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG, Berlin/Boston
