It is obvious that in today’s world, sex is exploited to advertise certain products and services, and whether we as consumers approve or not, we are the ones who fall for the content.
Sex sells because it attracts attention, and people are hard wired to notice sexual content-it is only natural. Researcher Tom Reichert says, in a Business Insider article, “Some young men actually think Axe body spray will drive women crazy.” And as perception studies show, brands like axe are perceived as ‘sexy,’ and many consumers want to be just that.
I was very intrigued by this article because I realized how desensitized i’ve become to ‘sexy’ adds. I started to notice all the brands that exploited sex, everywhere I went; Hollister, American Apparel, Sketchers, Nissan, and EVEN Dentyne Ice. What do GUM and CARS have to do with sex? It didn’t matter what the brand was actually selling, one way or another, it was selling sex.
I interviewed one of my best friends about the topic, as I was curious what someone who hadn’t done research on the topic would say. Charlotte, a 20 year old lady in the faculty of Land and Food Systems at UBC, expressed the following in a short one-on-one interview.
(R=Ria, C=Charlotte)
R: Why do you think companies use sex to sell products?
C:To make people feel sexy, because ultimately this is what most people want. Being sexy is linked to humans’ most natural goal-to find a mate and reproduce.
R:Does ‘sexy’ advertising work on you?
C: It’s not that it’s sexy and that’s why I buy the products, it’s more that the girls for example have nice bodies and therefore the jeans look really good on her, so maybe subcontiously it’s the nice body-sex link, but I think the bodies just make the merchandise look good, and that’s why I want to buy it.
R: Do you think it’s ok to use sex to sell products?
C: I feel like I should think it’s wrong, but I don’t really recognize anything wrong with it.
Overall, it was very interesting to notice all the provocative advertising all around me, and to hear what a third party had to say on the topic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy9hrv_awUE
Sources:
http://blog.creativedepartment.com/2012/06/13/sexy-ads/
http://www.businessinsider.com/13-brands-that-use-sex-to-sell-their-products-2012-2?op=1