Quick, without a lot of examination, what do you see in this photo?
How about this one?
This advertising gambit is being discussed all over the blogosphere. The conversation always seems to go like this:
BLOGGER: Look at this sick campaign by Wrangler, using dead bodies to advertise jeans.
COMMENT 1: Sick!
COMMENT 2: Gross!
COMMENT 3: What? They don’t look dead to me.
So I wanted to find out what you all saw without first telling you what I expected you to see.
Personally, I thought the top photo was a dead woman, though there’s no evidence that the model is female. I thought the second photo was also a dead woman, though on closer inspection I see she’s propping herself on her elbow and holding her head up. Nevertheless, she does appear to be severely bruised and has a wound on her shoulder, and she’s half naked, drawing a clear sexualization-of-violence-against-women connection, even if she apparently lived through the attack.
The question remains, why would such imagery inspire anyone to buy that brand of blue jeans? And what exec in his or her right mind would approve such a campaign?
On the other hand, these pics are being discussed all over the blogosphere, and in advertising, all publicity is good.
I’ma stick with my Levis, thank you.
Transvestite Rabbit 