Does Sex Really Sell?
Everyone has heard the phrase “sex sells,” but what really is sex in the media? Loosely defined in “The Balance,” sex in advertisement is the use of sexually provocative or erotic images, sounds, or suggestions that are specifically designed to cause an arousal of interest is a particular product service or brand.
Usually sex in advertisement is a beautiful woman or a handsome man that catches the eyes of a viewer and entices the viewer to want the product through either subliminal messaging or other not so discreet ways.
According to an article form The Balance called “Does Sex Really Sell in Advertising?” sex has been used to sell products and services throughout history. The article also goes on to say that as human beings we are prone to respond to our primal urges, and these urges include food and sex and reproduction. The article also says that sex has been used for the past 100 years of advertising because out pre-programed disposition responses to sexual images is so strong.
One of the main questions that the article asks is “does sex actually sell?” and the answer is yes, it does. The article also goes on to say that sexually provocative images are particularly successful with male audiences. And many companies understand this and use sex to sell products targeted mainly towards men.
One example is an advertisement doe by Skyy for their vodka and cherry infused vodka.
Another market saturated with provocative advertisements is cars. In one advertisement for BMW, model Gigi Hadid was used as the center piece of it.
Other markets for provocative advertisements also include cologne and such as Axe, old spice, and luxury cologne ads.
However, there is a fine line between being enticing and being too provocative. Although humans respond to provocative images in advertising, humans are also smart and well-educated enough to realize that they are being manipulated. If the product is not good you lose your customers.
However, as the human race progresses our taste in advertisements also change. Although provocative images are making big splashes in the advertising industry, another type of advertisement has also been making breaks in the advertising world, and that is activism.
According to “Does Sex Really Sell in Advertising?” brand have shifted from being sexy and provocative to taking a stand on political issues. Some of these political issues include immigration, racism, climate change, and many more. Another form of advertisement that is making a huge splash in the world of advertising is comedy, funny ads.
Sex sells is still just as relevant today as it was 40 years ago. However, in the preset day sex is not the only thing that sells. Comedic and activism styles work great as well.
The main idea about using sex in advertising is that it needs to be used appropriately. The article talks about ad like deodorant or lingerie, those would be appropriate ads to use provocative images in. However, if you’re trying to market a box of cereal or even a lawn mower, then sex should not be a mechanism that you use. It’ll draw attention to your product, but it may be the wrong kind of attention.
