"Killer Heels" Advertisement

In this particular add, the Manolo Company displays one of its shoes plunging through the chest of a man.  The man’s body is seen limp and impaled, dangling above a pool of his own blood.  The logo in the ad says “Killer Heels”.  This use of metaphor in advertising is interesting, but also a bit troubling. 

            In today’s culture, when a woman finds a fabulous pair of shoes, they are often referred to as being “killer”.  This term and its use in the Manolo ad remind me of the phrase of “drop dead gorgeous”.  This seems to be the kind of message this particular advertisement is trying to portray, but it is a bit extreme.  When thinking of the phrase “drop dead gorgeous” an image that comes to mind is seeing someone or something that is so beautiful that it makes their heart go into shock—making the person literally drop to the ground dead.  The image in the ad, however, portrays this beautiful accessory killing a man in a gory, violent manor.  What is this ad trying to say?

            In this particular visual, there are words present.  In communication advertisement, the use of words can be helpful, necessary or unnecessary in understanding the metaphor of the visual.  In this case, I believe the text used is helpful and leaning a little towards necessary.  Without the slogan “killer heels” would people understand the message the Manolo Company is trying to portray?  I personally found the text very helpful.  When first looking at this image, I was surprised and a bit confused.  I wondered why on earth I was seeing a dead bloody man in a shoe advertisement.  This use of shock value is often found in advertisements today.  There are so many fashion ads present in our media today, artists must take risks in order to stand out and grab the attention of the audience.  But is this artistic choice a positive one?

            In my opinion, this ad went a little far in its attempt to grab attention.  This seems to be the primary achievement in this visual: to shock.  Seeing a man impaled on a pair of heels and lying in a pool of his own blood does not make me want to run out the door with my wallet to purchase a pair of these shoes.  The ad was noticeable, yes—but at what cost?  This negative imaging does not accentuate the beauty or craftsmanship of these expensive shoes.