When Logos Rise and Fall: Exploring the Metaphorical Meaning of Upward and Downward Diagonal Imagery

Stylistic properties influence product judgments by communicating symbolic meaning beyond what is explicitly stated (Doyle and Bottomley 2006; Meyers-Levy and Peracchio 1992; Peracchio & Meyers-Levy 2005). Indeed, psychologists have long been interested in the metaphorical meaning of concepts; however, they have focused largely on verbal rather than visual metaphors (e.g., Fauconnier and Turner 1998; Lakoff and Johnson 1980). One common visual property is the diagonal orientation of product images, word-marks, and logos. Given multiple uses of diagonals in our society, it is conceivable that diagonal orientation could communicate a variety of concepts that might influence product attitudes. Although there is evidence that diagonals symbolize dynamism (Peracchio and Meyers-Levy 2005), several questions about the metaphorical meaning of diagonals remain. First, do diagonals with opposite orientations (i.e., upward- vs. downward-sloping) convey different meanings, such as different degrees of activity? Second, how much cognitive elaboration is necessary for the diagonal orientation of an image to convey metaphorical meaning? Here, the existing literature equivocates: earlier research suggests that these effects arise spontaneously (Meyers-Levy and Peracchio 1992), while more recent research suggests that they require extensive processing (Nordhielm 2002; Peracchio and Meyers-Levy 2005). Third, what other semantic concepts beyond activity do diagonals convey? Given differences in how upward and downward diagonals are commonly used in society (e.g., depicting success vs. failure, growth vs. decline, effort vs. ease), it is likely that upward and downward diagonals carry multiple opposing associations.