Sex in Advertisements

Sex In Advertisements

Does sex sell? Is it necessary to include sexual images in an advertisement when trying to sell a product? The answer is contingent upon which audience you are targeting and what product you are trying to sell. By linking these sexual images to a product, the reaction to purchase the product is based upon a false desire; these desires are created by physical instincts. Often times sex appeal is used as a marketing strategy to appeal to certain target audiences. There are different ways of using sex to sell in an advertisement, all of which generally appeal to the senses of the audience. Although some perceptions of these advertisements are negative, the use of sex results in a more interesting, appealing ad, ultimately increasing the sales of a product.

Nudity is used by a wide range of companies as one sales strategy in order to sell their product. Nudity is known as a revealing display of the body; this can vary from tight-fitting clothing, to underwear and lingerie, to being fully naked. Once a consumer views an advertisement containing nudity, the physical features of the people in the ad are most commonly remembered. Because the attention received towards an ad containing nudity usually generates a desire to purchase that product, companies lean towards creating more advertisements

with nudity. Using nudity as one type of sexual display generally increases the sales outcome for most advertisements; the major dependent is on which group of people are being targeted. According to Latour and Henthorne in "Nudity and Sex Appeals", high levels of nudity for a men's magazine proved effective when trying to increase sales. On the other hand, high levels of nudity for a woman's magazine actually plumitted the sales of that magazine. When using sex to sell a product, it all depends on the target audience (Reichert & Lambiase, 2003).

The use of displaying sexual behavior and physical attractiveness are both used among companies to reach today's consumers. Models behave sexually in advertisements by making eye contact with the viewer, flirting, and by being positioned provocatively. By using these behaviors, models can communicate sexual interest with the viewer; this stimulates an interest and desire for the advertised product. In order for sexual behaviors displayed in an advertisement to be captivating, a certain physical attractiveness is needed. Physical attractiveness is commonly used to create and consumer-to-product attraction.

Nudity is used by a wide range of companies