Small Business Marketing

Using Sex Appeal in Advertising Written by Amy Bax for Gaebler Ventures This is a short guide in use of sex appeal in advertising and marketing campaigns. Is it really effective? How should a company use it? What are things to be aware of? Using sex appeal in advertising is a time-tested technique that will probably be with us forever. (article continues below) If you are marketing a product or service, you need to be aware of the power of sex appeal in advertising and understand the nuances of using sex to market your wares. Why Sex Sells The most obvious reason sex appeal works in advertising is that it grabs attention. Both males and females are attracted to this type of advertising. It is a powerful instinctive attraction that will take our focus from anything else we may be doing. And advertisers know this. They play off of our curiosity. They know that it will be more likely to be recalled than most other forms of appeals because of the generated interest. Also, many advertisers have found that overly controversial images, even if they are taken off of the air, will stir up discussions about the ad and the product associated with it. Even if someone does not agree with what is put on an ad, they are still talking about it. By those discussions being had, the name of your product stays in the minds of consumers longer. What to Be Careful of When Using Sex Appeal in Marketing Make sure that people are not so distracted by the sexual appeal of the ad that they do not remember what the ad was for in the first place. It does not do any good to create a sensual or sexual message when all they can remember is the image and not the brand name. So, make sure the sexual/sensual image being used is connected in some way to the product or service being promoted. This will create a link between the two and make the viewer much more likely to remember the product or service being advertised. Many advertisers appeal to males in this way- buy the product, get the girl. Especially beer advertisements- generally, a group of average looking guys will be in a bar and by purchasing or drinking a certain brand, they will attract interest from an attractive girl across the room.

What is considered acceptable varies from one location to another. In a large metropolitan area with a diverse, less conservative population, you might be more likely to produce more risqu advertising versus a rural and conservative or religious community. Tailor the message to the people you are targeting, which includes understanding their feelings and beliefs on public sexuality. If you are setting up a business in a smaller community, make sure to note what other businesses do to advertise. Sex appeal may not be an acceptable form of appeal at all. It is not as attention-grabbing as it once was. There is still an element of surprise, but do not think that people will react or respond quite how they did when it was first being used. As we have become more and more surrounded by sexual images in movies and television, we have become almost desensitized to it, and an ad with half-dressed models does not nearly shock us as much as it would have twenty years ago. So, instead of just having a group of sexy girls or guys in an ad, try to find more subtle and unexpected ways to use sexuality in your message. Dove did this by using "real people" in their marketing campaigns that started a few years ago. They used the different kinds of beauty, body shape, and age to promote their products. This unexpected campaign, which premiered during the Super Bowl, was extremely successful because it was something different that they were remembered for doing. Sex appeal can be used in many ways. In short, make sure that the way you are using it is appropriate for the product that you are selling and the people you are selling it to.

Does sex in advertising really affect viewers?

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Link to this page Sex in Advertising: Perspectives on the Erotic Appeal. Edited by Tom Reichert and Jacqueline Lambiase. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2003, 294 pages. Cloth, $65.00; paper, $29.95. This edited volume is quite ambitious. It not only attempts to challenge a widely held assumption (i.e., sex in advertising has an effect on viewers), but it also strives to offer a voice to various disciplines (e.g., psychology, history, marketing, mass communication, journalism), provide "synergy" for a range of perspectives, and incorporate quantitative and qualitative data analyses. Quite a chunk to bite off Verb 1. bite off - bite off with a quick bite; "The dog snapped off a piece of cloth from the intruder's pants" snap at bite, seize with teeth - to grip, cut off, or tear with or as if with the teeth or jaws; "Gunny invariably tried to bite her" , chew, and swallow successfully! The volume, by and large, shows a relatively high level of quality. The mixture and placement of

articles seems logical and the majority of sources used are both convincing and timely. Some readers may notice that missing from the text is a vigorous debate about the definition of sex and/or sexuality, but the absence of this debate does not detract from detract from verb 1. LESSEN, reduce, diminish, lower, take away from, derogate, devaluate << OPPOSITE enhance verb 2. the overall value of the text, especially considering that the editors admit they are merely initiating a conversation about an inadequately investigated topic. Ads by GoogleSmall Business Growth Kit Yours Free: $197 Worth Of Tools For Growing Your Business This Week SmallBusinessMastermind.com.au Sydney Personal Law Catherine Gilbert Solicitors Specialising in Same sex Agreements CatherineGilbert.com.au Chapter 1 discusses the goal of the project, declaring notions of "synergy" and "diversity." It renders some voices and perspectives invisible, particularly sociopolitical sociopolitical adj. Involving both social and political factors. sociopolitical Adjective of or involving political and social factors and sociocultural sociocultural adj. Of or involving both social and cultural factors.

so ciocul voices and perspectives (e.g., sociological studies, political science studies, legal studies, anthropological studies, race studies, class studies), but no one text can be all things to all people. The book fittingly begins with a relatively formal review of the relevant literature in the second chapter. Reichert discusses cornerstone and newly generated qualitative and quantitative research Quantitative research Use of advanced econometric and mathematical valuation models to identify the firms with the best possible prospectives. Antithesis of qualitative research. on processing effects, attitudes, sexual stimuli in advertising, and definitions of key phrases while providing compelling examples. It is a fine way to begin the text, clearly delineating key concepts and ideas. However, the author frequently wanders from the past to the present, blending research from the 1960s, '70s and early '80s with more contemporary findings. This technique suggests that the entire body of literature offers an ahistorical ahistorical adj.

Unconcerned with or unrelated to history, historical development, or tradition: "All of this is totally ahistorical. , unified voice, a suggestion that is much too simplistic simplism n. The tendency to oversimplify an issue or a problem by ignoring complexities or complications. [French simplisme, from simple, simple, from Old French; see simple and surely misleading. Chapter 3 unmistakably refutes the myth of a unified voice by providing readers with a comprehensive historical discussion of the who, what, when, where, and why of sexual ads as well as a healthy consideration of the purportedly inherent connection between advertising and psychology. This chapter concludes with the following provocative statement: "Advertising's explicitness does not provide proof of the depravity of its creators and sponsors, but is evidence that some of the restraints in force are outdated" (p. 61). The editors' selection and placement of this chapter is first-rate. Chapter 4 follows with a fascinating consideration of the fetish fetish (ft`sh), inanimate object believed to possess some magical power. The fetish may be a natural thing, such as a stone, a feather, a shell, or the claw of an animal, or it may be artificial, such as carvings in wood. in advertising. It also introduces race and sexual orientation sexual orientation n. The direction of one's sexual interest toward members of the same, opposite, or both sexes, especially a direction seen to be dictated by physiologic rather than sociologic forces. as important themes, although in most cases the book ignores the significance of race and sexual orientation in advertising. The title of Part I (chapters 2-4), "Research Approaches to Sex in Advertising," might imply that readers will have an opportunity to critique approaches to researching sex in advertising. In this respect, this section is mediocre at best. Additionally, the editors claim Part I will provide "coherence." I find this section falls short of that objective as well. However, if the editors simply intended to expose readers to compelling yet distinct perspectives on sex in advertising, or to help identify spaces for additional research, they were successful. The heart of the book seemingly commences with Part II (chapters 5-8). Unfortunately, it becomes evident at once that the reader must make a huge leap to understand the vocabulary in the early chapters of Part II. The editors clearly failed to expose readers to the jargon du jour in Part I. Chapters 5 and 6 bombard bombard tr.v. bombarded, bombarding, bombards 1. To attack with bombs, shells, or missiles. 2. To assail persistently, as with requests. See Synonyms at attack, barrage2.

3. readers with terms like advertising-stimulated tension, high activation, lack of contractualism contractualism n. See contractarianism. , and bipolar comparator comparator Instrument for comparing something with a similar thing or with a standard measure, in particular to measure small displacements in mechanical devices. In astronomy, the blink comparator is used to examine photographic plates for signs of moving bodies. . Both chapters yet again establish the topic of sex in advertising as legitimate, and while chapter 5 supposedly juxtaposes the jargony dribble of the past with the more lucid investigations of today, neither chapter makes the debate more user-friendly. Additionally, the chapters fail to offer anything new. The results, in general, mirror findings dated 13 years earlier (i.e., exposure to sexual ads do not produce uniform responses, overly explicit ads may produce a negative response, and men and women do not respond identically to sexual ads). One might argue that chapter 7 (by Brooke), with its eloquent language and profound statements like "'sex sells' might more properly be understood as 'spectacle sells'" (p. 135), should have launched Part II. It not only summarizes the overall topic in a reasonable and logical manner but also validates the scientific jargon of chapters 5 and 6, introduces readers to the notion of "brand loyalty" (p. 139), and challenges previous authors' and editors' hubris Hubris An arrogance due to excessive pride and an insolence toward others. A classic character flaw of a trader or investor. [e.g., "In a culture increasingly defined by the remote control, advertisements compete not only with each other, but also with the whole range of choices available to consumers, with other channels, not to mention other media" (p. 137)]. Brooke is also brave enough to problematize Problem`a`tize v. t. 1. To propose problems. the pseudo-scientific prattle found in chapters 5 and 6, declaring that "Analyses of advertising often cling to antiquated notions of how marketing functions" (p. 134). Overall, readers would not have suffered had chapters 5 and 6 been excluded from this text, but considering the purpose of Part II their inclusion is appropriate. Part III is a collection of writings by a seasoned group of recognized experts in the field. It is no surprise, then, that this section is the most comprehensible, interesting, and compelling. It begins by addressing the societal impact of objectifying women and reducing sex to narcissistic narcissism also narcism n. 1. Excessive love or admiration of oneself. See Synonyms at conceit. 2. A psychological condition characterized by self-preoccupation, lack of empathy, and unconscious deficits in pleasure. Following Kilbourn's brilliant piece is one by Twitchell

examining the history of notions of beauty in the U.S. and their relationship to advertising. Here is an answer to the classic chicken and egg question: Did advertising help to shape notions of beauty and hygiene or did changing notions of beauty and hygiene govern advertising? Twitchell suggests the latter, yet examines how both have contributed to an enthusiastic (re)construction of femininity and the continued subjugation Subjugation Cushan-rishathaim Aram king to whom God sold Israelites. [O.T.: Judges 3:8] Gibeonites consigned to servitude in retribution for trickery. [O.T.: Joshua 9:2227] Ham Noah curses him and progeny to servitude. [O. of women to men. Twitchell's article begins well but ends with a surprisingly anti-(radical) feminist pity party that weakens the overall argument to some extent. Still, the essay is quite provocative. The section ends with a deliciously enlightening Marxian essay about subliminal messages. Key not only mulls over artistically crafted subliminals and the impact they have on society, but addresses the circumvention of this discourse in academia. The close scrutiny of a Betty Crocker ad is both titillating titillate v. titillated, titillating, titillates v.tr. 1. To stimulate by touching lightly; tickle. 2. To excite (another) pleasurably, superficially or erotically. and disconcerting disconcert tr.v. disconcerted, disconcerting, disconcerts 1. To upset the self-possession of; ruffle. See Synonyms at embarrass. 2. . Part III alone makes buying the text worthwhile. Part IV (chapters 12-14) concludes the text. It begins with a moderately engaging discussion by Stern of masculism, manly ideals, and advertising. This article is followed by a captivating captivate tr.v. captivated, captivating, captivates 1. To attract and hold by charm, beauty, or excellence. See Synonyms at charm. 2. Archaic To capture. essay that delves into the use of "social, sexual and image codes" (p. 229)

as advertisers rise to the challenge of convincing gay and lesbian consumers that they are "connected" to the market. This is the only chapter explicitly acknowledging the importance of sexual orientation with respect to advertising. Chapter 14 provides readers with an informative overview of critical questions to ask when researching sex appeals in advertising on the Internet. So, does sex in advertising really affect viewers? This book reveals that it not only affects viewers, it influences our society in multiple ways. In general, the book provides a satisfactory overview of sexuality in advertising. Some of the chapters are more noteworthy than others, but this is true of most edited volumes. Missing from the text is an overt consideration of race, class, and sexual orientation. However, taken as a whole, the book is solidly researched, timely, and suitable for advanced undergraduate students, graduate students, and researchers in the fields of mass communication, behavioral communication, psychology, marketing, advertising, media studies, women's studies and gender studies. Reviewed by Gloria Y. Gadsden, Ph.D., Fairleigh Dickinson University Fairleigh Dickinson University, at Florham-Madison and Teaneck-Hackensack, N.J.; coeducational; incorporated and opened 1942 as a junior college, became a four-year college in 1948 and a university in 1956. , Department of Social Sciences and History, 285 Madison Avenue, Madison, NJ 07940; e-mail: gadsden@fdu.edu.

Sex still sells, but whos on top?

by Adam GHIJBEN - 24th November 2008

An Examination of Current Prevailing Community Standards on Sexualization and Gender Equality in Advertising

All advertising, whether it be delivered by way of print, internet or broadcast, must comply with the Australian Association of National Advertisers Code of Ethics. The Code ensures that advertisements are, amongst other things, prepared and broadcast in accordance with the prevailing community standards at the time. This standard is judged by the Advertising Standards Board. In particular, there are two sections of the Code which deal with issues of the use of gender and sex in advertising; these are sections 2.1 and 2.3 (reproduced below).

Section 2.1 - Advertising or Marketing Communications shall not portray people or depict material in a way which discriminates against or vilifies a person or section of the community on account of race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, age, sexual preference, religion, disability or political belief. Section 2.3 - Advertising or Marketing Communications shall treat sex, sexuality and nudity with sensitivity to the relevant audience, and, where appropriate, the relevant programme time zone.

As a member of the public, if you believe that a particular piece of advertising offends a provision of the Code, including the prevailing community standard, you can complain to the ASB about that advertising. Once a complaint is received, the ASB will notify the advertiser and invite it to make a submission in response to the complaint. The ASB will then assess the complaint and will either dismiss it or uphold it. An advertiser may pull an advertisement at any time and in fact some do as soon as they are notified about a complaint. This is not necessarily because they believe the ASB will uphold the complaint, but because they may not want to be associated with the adverse publicity of the hearing process. The ASB, in enforcing the Code, draws a distinction between the use of gender, sex and nudity as part of an advertisement, and where it forms part of the product itself. For example, in 2008

CLEO magazine ran a competition where entrants could win the use of a male slave for a day. The advertisement complained of was a radio ad featuring a female voice asking OK, lets check the list...bushes trimmed? Dogs walked? Leaking tap fixed?...My full body wax?...Just kidding lets get you into a singlet and out in the garden, cowboy. The ad received complaints which included this one: The advertisement is out of step with community values, and objectifies males in an inappropriate light. Such advertising is frequently objected to when women are involved or objectified and the same standards apply to males. The ASB considered that the complaint was chiefly directed at the type of prize on offer (or the product), that of having a male in servitude, rather than anything arising out of the advertisement itself. Despite the advertisement containing a mild element of vouyerism (eg. lets get you into a singlet and out in the garden, cowboy) there was nothing in the advertisement which offended the Code and it was dismissed. A similar complaint and result was found in a complaint about the rotating billboard advertising the Mens Gallery / Centrefold Lounge located at Richmond train station. In that case, the advertisers response, with which the ASB ultimately agreed, pointed out that the women featured on the billboard were decidedly more dressed than many women featured in advertising for underwear or swimwear. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the use of male and female nudity (including what might be called seminudity) in advertising is a frequent basis for complaint. However, as the following cases demonstrate, nudity will rarely offend the prevailing community standard where it is used in an appropriate context, such as in an advertisement for swimwear or underwear. The ASB seems to take a firm line that an advertiser is permitted to show the product which is being advertised, and this may prove difficult if the product is underwear and models are required to be fully dressed. In the case of Icon Clothing Pty Ltd, the product was denim pants and jeans. The advertisement was a bill board which featured the back of a young woman wearing a bikini top and a pair of cutoff denim shorts which revealed the lower part of her buttocks. The complaint was made on grounds under section 2.3 of the Code. The ASB considered that the image was relevant and appropriate to the product being advertised and consequently dismissed the complaint. The same result was seen in respect of a complaint made about a billboard featuring a young man reclining on his side wearing only a pair of Holeproof briefs. Again, the ASB considered that the image of the model wearing only the underwear was relevant and appropriate to the product being advertised. Even were the use of nudity in an advertisement might have only a passing connection to the product being advertised, it is still unlikely to offend the prevailing community standard. Take, for example, a billboard for a gambling website which featured two women in bikinis holding up a sign which read $500 free bet. All you have to do is sign up now. The complaint was made with respect to the use of nudity in the ad. The advertisers response was that the use of the two ladies wearing a bikini is representative of Australias care free beach loving lifestyle and it was not intended to degrade women. Leaving the advertisers intentions aside for the moment, the connection between a gambling website and Australias care free beach loving lifestyle may best be described as tenuous. However, the ASB by majority dismissed the complaint on the basis that wearing a bikini was not the same thing as implying sex, nor did it sexualise the content.

In fact, the only recent advertisement to which a complaint made under section 2.3 of the Code has been upheld, was in the case of a television advertisement for Levi Strauss jeans. The advertisement featured a young couple kissing and gradually undressing as they move throughout an apartment. At one point they are featured kissing without shirts on, the female wearing a bra with her back to the camera. The advertisement ends with a pair of jeans being thrown on the floor. The advertisement was shown on Pay TV on a Sunday afternoon during a sports program, a time of day when children may have been watching television. The ASB considered that the ad featured a strong sexual theme, despite the fact that no overt nudity or sex act was depicted. Ultimately the Board considered that whilst the content of the advertising would not have offended a mature audience, on this occasion it was broadcast to a young audience and the because of the broadcast time, the advertisement had not treated the portrayal of sex with sensitivity to the relevant audience (ie. one including children). The complaint was upheld. An examination of some other recent decisions of the ASB reveals that the prevailing community standard tolerates far more with respect to the men than it will when it comes to women. Take, for example, the television advertisement for Holeproofs Rio Multipack underwear. The advertisement featured radio personality Fifi Box, standing next to a male model wearing seven pairs of Rio underpants on top of each other, one for each day of the week. The model removes one pair for each day of the week which Fifi mentions, starting with Monday. When Fifi gets to Sunday, the model hesitates because he is down to his last pair. Fifi urges, Come on you, get em off! and the model beings to slowly remove the last pair as the camera crosses to Fifi watching and commenting Oh, I love Sundays... This cheeky ad was enough to raise the ire of at least one member of the public who made the complaint based upon section 2.1 of the Code, pointing out that were the roles reversed, and it was a woman told to undress by a man, society would not stand for it. The complainant demanded, if youll pardon the pun, a tit-for-tat approach be adopted by the ASB with respect to the sexes. The complaint was dismissed without any great discourse other than to say that the advertising was not demeaning towards men. The Board did not comment upon the question of whether the same result would have been reached had the roles in fact been reversed. A similar complaint was made with respect to a television advertisement for the Cancer Council of NSWs Girls Night In, which featured a group of girls arriving at a house for a girls party. The hostess takes one girls coat and throws it into a hall cupboard where a young man is seen bound and gagged to keep him out of the way. Again, the ASB dismissed the complaint on the basis that the depiction was not discriminatory to men generally and was intended to be humorous and did not present or portray violence, according to prevailing community standards. Despite the seeming double standard adopted in the Rio Multipack and Girls Night In decisions, it is simply in line with the prevailing community standard which the ASB is required to uphold. It is a matter of fact that the community will tolerate, to a large degree, good humoured sexualised banter when it is directed at men, but will almost never tolerate the same directed to women. In other words, there is no equality in terms of the treatment of both sexes in the community, and therefore there can be no expectation that there should be equality between the sexes when applying the prevailing community standard and deciding cases of this nature.

There are probably two key conclusions which can be drawn based upon the outcomes of the complaints mentioned above. Firstly, as a general proposition, the prevailing community standards are very low when it comes to the use of sex and nudity in advertising. An advertiser can get away with almost anything provided it considers its audience and restricts the time of a broadcast to a timeslot which is appropriate for the audience. Secondly, there is no gender equality when it comes to the treatment of sex and gender in advertising, providing that the intention is at humour. Mistreatment (in contrast to expressions of actual physical violence) of males in situations involving comical or sexual servitude appear to be perfectly acceptable, despite the fact that the reverse would doubtless be unacceptable. If you have any questions about this article or in relating to advertising standards generally, please contact Adam Ghijben on adam.ghijben@ekmlegal.com .

Nudity and sexuality in European advertising

April 9th, 2010 by Angie Warning: the full version of this post contains images that might not be suitable for your work environment. There is uncensored nudity in European advertising. Im not referring to X-rated pay channels on TV it is on public billboards and prime time TV where everyone can see it. The example that always comes to my mind is an ad I saw when we lived in France. Nivea shows a naked woman frolicking through a pretty pasture enjoying her moisturized skin. Its all quite normal. Last week in Europe our boutique hotel in Brussels had huge black and white photographs of naked women in the rooms and lobby area. In Zurich, we saw racy advertising in the window of men and womens store, Burger (image A at the bottom of the full version of this post). In another window a French junior store casually displayed a young gal flashing her breasts. And in Milan I was caught off guard by an even racier wall-sized photo in the sporty Belgian menswear store, Dirk Bikkenbergs (image B). Aside from my initial gasp at the Dirk Bikkenbergs picture, this type of advertising doesnt faze me. I dont think its state of the art, but I also dont find it insulting or vulgar. America has a different social norm. And nudity in publicly consumed media is illegal. Companies like American Apparel turn this into an opportunity and gain notoriety by pushing the boundaries. But AAs approach seems cheap and exploitative, whereas the nudity and sexuality in the European advertising seems more sophisticated and tasteful. How do you feel? Would you be offended to see the images in this post as you walked through Macys? Or down Rodeo Drive? Can nude advertising be creative and inhibiting, or is or always inappropriate?