Metonymy and Metaphor in Ads

Although often conceived of as literary devices, metonymy and metaphor when employed thoughtfully become powerful tools for visual rhetoric. Their usage has become so commonplace that we often overlook their imbedded existence in the media we consume. The example in the reading, therefore, was distinctive in the simplicity of its design which emphasized the use of metonymy and metaphor through presenting a variation of the first panel image in the third panel by adding, reducing, or altering an existing element. The examples below similarly employ the metonymic part-whole relationship and the mapping capacity of metaphors, but in design that is more complex.

As an advertisement for World Kidney Day, this first image displays a broccoli manipulated into the shape of a pair of kidneys with the message “Eat right for them.” written below the image. The broccoli therefore represents the act of healthy eating as well as vegetables as a whole. Its manipulation into a pair of kidneys further emphasizes the message that eating vegetables such as broccoli will improve the health of your kidneys.

This advertisement by Pepsi also presents a blending of conceptual metaphor and metonymy by insinuating that “consuming Pepsi will make you come to life.” The IV drip represents life as IV drips are often associated with one’s physical health. By filling it with Pepsi, the advertisement constructs the metaphor that “Pepsi will make you come to life.”