Use of Language Games in Competitive Activity: A Content Analysis of Two Non-alcoholic Beverage Brands Ilipinar Gürsel Universitat Ramon Llull – ESADE Business School, Barcelona, Spain Online published on 10 June, 2013. Abstract In 1984, Roger Enrico published, “The Other Guy Blinked: How Pepsi Won The Cola Wars” in which he participated as the CEO of Pepsico USA. In his book, Enrico presented a story of the commercial competition between Pepsi Cola and Coca Cola companies which he conceptualized with the metaphor of war. By participating in a language game, social actors pragmatically coordinate their activities through the language they use. The author studied Enrico's book and looked into the functions of metaphors and metonyms in three different levels: The level of the messages that each company sends to potential clients, the level of messages between the companies and finally the level of the narrative by Enrico. More specifically, considering these three levels, the author explained how Pepsi influenced Coca Cola via metaphors and metonyms - especially via superstar (celebrity) advertising – to make Coca Cola react by changing the almost hundred-years-old formula composition. Finally, the research highlighted the assumptions and the rhetorical techniques which may not be known for by Roger Enrico at the time the book was written. Top Keywords Rhetoric, Metaphor, Metonym, Branding, Celebrity Advertising, Cola Wars. Top |