The role of emergent structure in Conceptual Blending Theory – case studies of children in advertisements

Abstract

The aim of this article is to consider the role of emergent structure in conceptual integration networks and the impact it has on the process of meaning construction. What is under analysis is the way in which a well-established emergent structure helps the blend to achieve its goals of providing human scale and achieving its persuasive effects. The analysis is a case study of four advertising campaigns which use conceptual blending to advertise their products via manipulating an image of a child into their advertising posters.