Going Up Is Always Good

Although metaphors encompass a large variety of taxonomies, orientational metaphors are those that rely on spatial position to map concepts into other ones, referring to a relation of valence and verticality. Stated by Kövecses (2010) conceptual metaphors such orientational ones draw 'upward' and 'downward' spatial positions in which 'upward' is usually referred to as having positive connotations, whereby their opposites, 'downwards', are understood as negative. Since orientational metaphors are strongly cultural in content, this paper seeks to unveil with the application of FILMIP (Filmic Metaphor Identification Procedure, Bort-Mir, 2019) how they are employed through the media representation in TV advertisements, specifically in a filmic narrative of a language learning application for technological devices denominated Babbel (Babbel: Lleva tu carrera al próximo nivel, 2018). In the analyzed narrative, the orientational metaphor GOOD IS UP is represented in the commercial as a tool for persuading customers that the best way of escalating positions at work, is by learning new languages or, on the other hand, mastering the skills in an already known one.