Cultural hybridity and visual rhetoric in brand advertising: A study of Guangzhou, China, 1912-1949

This study investigates the interplay of cultural hybridity and visual rhetoric in brand advertising in Guangzhou between 1912 and 1949, a period marked by profound socio-political transformation and cultural modernization in China. Drawing upon archival sources-including historical newspapers, advertisement samples, and relevant secondary literature-the research employs a qualitative methodology that integrates visual semiotic analysis with historical contextual analysis. The objective is to unravel how Guangzhou’s brand advertisements synthesized Western modern design elements with traditional Chinese aesthetics to construct hybrid visual narratives that resonated with contemporary consumer identities and cultural values. Specifically, the study demonstrates that the strategic use of visual rhetoric-through careful manipulation of imagery, color, typography, and layout-enabled advertisers to navigate and articulate the tensions between indigenous traditions and external influences. The implications of this research extend to design history, advertising theory, and cultural studies by offering new insights into the role of visual communication in periods of cultural transition.