In response to Alex Meisner blog about sex in advertising, I don’t really understand the issue or why some companies should be considered unethical for using ads campaigns which they may find helpful in their marketing strategy. The whole issue about sex ads does not make much sense to me. There are basically no laws that prevent ads that depict half naked or completely naked people.
It is true that some posters display sexual content that may be sensitive to parts of the population but personally I think this can be only judged in terms ethics if the host country has laws that prohibit such activities and the country’s culture is overall against explicit display of such contents. This could be true in nations such Saudi Arabia. One may interpret it as showing more respect to women but personally I would like consider it solely based on traditions, rules and regulations established by the country’s institutions.
I say so because for example, in markets were the movie industry can use sexual content in whatever ways including sex and rape in movies, in porn businesses and Hollywood stars that show off their naked body parts in music video and concerts; I would see no reason whatever to criticize a company that chooses to use sex to sell its products.
If sex sells as they say so, and the company in question finds it profitable, it’s up to the government to set laws and regulations that can be used to control what it wishes the population should be exposed to, otherwise it would be unfair to allow other industries such as the movie industry to use it and make large profits when others are restricted to do what seems to be even less psychologically impacting.