Topic > Sex as an advertising tool

Responding to this case study, Tom Reichert, author of the book: Sex in Advertising: Perspective on the Erotic Appeal, explains that "sex doesn't always sell, but sensuality does" (page . 55). Using sex appeal in advertising is a good way to target certain market segments, but it doesn't work for everyone. It's been a long time since sexual references have been used in advertising. Sex is everywhere. Sex appeal is classified into several distinctions. Reichert conducted a study in 2000 that revealed four characteristics of sexy advertisements: physical characteristics of the models, behavior/movement, intimacy between the models, and contextual characteristics such as camera effects. He tried to find what people consider sexy in advertising. Those that emerged most frequently were physical characteristics (66%), the model's movements and verbal and non-verbal communication (39%), contextual characteristics (26%) and proxemics (15%) (p.267 -269). He noticed that what people called sexy differed from gender to gender. The study showed that women had a greater response than men, at 35% compared to 20% for men. Additionally, it was found that 28% of women responded to references to physical distance or model interaction compared to 6% of men (p.269). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Evaluating the audience who will see the ads before invoking a sexual appeal in the ad is crucial. A recent study found that there is no industry-wide plan for advertisers to use men as voiceovers in ads. Rather, individual advertisers and agencies make decisions about specific products and ad execution. For example, the gender of a spokesperson and announcer can influence advertising ratings for a gender-specific product but not for products with non-gendered images (Whipple & McManamon p.87). The use of overt sexual appeals in print advertising has increased considerably in contemporary advertising practice. Today, it is common for a reader of any age to pick up a general interest consumer magazine and find an advertisement featuring models in provocative poses and clothing for many consumer products (Henthrone & LaTour p.82). Since the beginning of the 21st century, the use of sexual appeals in print advertising has become commonplace. Calvin Klein is one of the most memorable companies, which bases its advertising on sexual appeals. Their advertisements often feature nude scenes of couples in a rather provocative position. Additionally, many of the print ads for Calvin Klein jeans are equally evocative and memorable. Ads of this type are designed to elicit what the authors hope is a vicarious experience of sensuality (p.82). “Advertising research reveals that sexual appeals attract attention, arouse, induce affection, and are memorable” (Reichert, p.14). But while studies have shown that sexual appeals draw attention to advertising, they do so without a corresponding benefit for processing brand information. While the use of sexual appeals in brand advertisements has not proven to be as effective as it sounds or sounds, using them in social marketing can be helpful, but not always. “From a social marketing perspective, sexual appeals can be useful for the simple reason that they attract attention and potentially motivate desirable message characteristics in a saturated media environment” (Reichert p.18). An ethical concept that accompanies this idea is the imperative.