The article analysis the "blue ocean" metaphor and its strengths and weaknesses as a persuasive tool in business strategy discourse. The text under analysis is Kim, W. C., R. Mauborgne. 2005a. Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant. Harvard: Harvard Business School Press. The examination shows how the bridging concept of red ocean addresses the dominant metaphor of BLOODY BATTLEFIELD and smooths the conceptual incongruence with the vision of the BLUE OCEAN proposed in the new conceptualization.