ABSTRACT
A widely used method of managing public perceptions is corporate image advertisements. Criticism abounds that such advertisements are merely empty rhetoric intended to make "us," key publics, like "them/' the sponsors. The intent of image advertisements seems intuitively obvious: If "we" like "them," we will be nice to them by passing or not passing certain regulations-one does not wish harm to befall a socially responsible friend. Because they are often couched in simple, friendly terms, one may overlook the rhetorical sophistication of corporate image advertisements. This form of public relations is hardly "empty," but rather more often it is a rich and well-orchestrated crescendo of symbols.
