Sex sells.

[Hagi]

You'd be suprised.
Almost all deodrant and fragrance adverts do.
Hell, i even saw a cruchy nut advert with it in.
Clothes adverts, and some car adverts.

Deodorant and fragrance adverts sell attraction. They claim that using them makes the other gender attracted to you. It's about the attraction and admiration, it's not about the sex.

There's an extremely large difference between admiration and attraction and sex.

People do want to be admired, especially by the gender they're attracted to. They do not want a continuous orgy.

They don't want sex. They want to be a happy, attractive, admired and respected person.

 

[OmniscientOstrich]

Personally I think 'sex sells' is an outdated, erroneous, platitude. I refuse to believe that the majority of males would actually be motivated to buy something out of sex appeal, unless they live in a country with no internet connection.

It's not just males don't you know.
Quite a lot of females sucubbme to it as well.
Why else would they show all those gucchi adverts with the topless men?

I've honestly never seen a Gucci advert in my life so I wouldn't know. Also, that example doesn't demonstrate that the 'sex sells' ethos actually works, merely that is employed within certain companies. Companies who I believe are big enough and well established enough, that they would do just fine regardless of how awful their marketing campaigns are (see EA and Sony). Point is, I don't think that marketing campaigns that incorperate the idea of sex appeal being an incentive are going to produce any more beneficial results than those that actually demonstrate the qualities of the product.

 

[A Weakgeek]

Sex sells.
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FYI do not talk about 'that' on this website, it is against the forum rules.

Regarding TV advertising, I always try to avoid watching it by channel hopping, it doesn't always work though. And I know what you meant by 'don't get taken in by it'. It's just that a lot of advertising is subliminal.

Thanks bro, edited it into something much nicer.

 

[Insideout Ink Demon]

maybe if there weren't so many sexual hang ups out there, it wouldnt be so easy to use sex to sell

Captcha: MAKE IT SO

 

[Rin Little]

I think that sex used to be the main selling point in previous years but it seems to be going down now. Now it just seems like commercials don't really know what they're aiming at, like the commercials for Kotex tampons is all centered around the wrappers being "colorful" and "punk"... My first reaction to that one was "Oh yes because I need my tampon wrapper to look colorful and edgy!"

 

[FalloutJack]

Yeah, they should. It's hilarious.


This post brought to you by Pleary S&P, a Captcha corporation.

Yeah, I agree. Go for it!

 

[KiKiweaky]

Yeah, they should. It's hilarious.

Old Spice Add

This post brought to you by Pleary S&P, a Captcha corporation.

Probably one of the funniest adds I have ever seen, a mate showed it to me a while back and I can watch it again and still find it funny haha

 

[II2]

Eh it seems to me, that the male mind will always fall victim to sex, and i dont say that saying they're stupid, just that, they're sort of programmed like that. As a lesbian woman, a sexy ad always catches my eyes, but it doesnt mean i buy into anything. Like, that ad for cherry dr pepper with Fergie. SO HOT, but i dont drink dr pepper. at all. ever.

I'd imagine you know women who have bought cosmetics or clothing or skin care products because they, on some level, figured it would help them look "BETTER" a lot of the time, without really being conscious of WHY they want to look better? Maybe it's because they want to be more attractive, or reduce perceived unattractiveness, but generally outside of specific personal volition or intent, tends to be in pursuit of some impossible imagines of beauty, conceived deliberately to keep people competing and buying and striving at an impossible standard of youth and beauty. Kinda strikes me as "programming"...

What I'm getting at is that EVERYONE, male or female, is programmed by their constant media. As simply as I can break it down and still have it make any sense, I see men as being programmed to (want to) GET things, as objects of desire in of themsevles - gadgets, cars, women, status. For women, I see a lot of women programmed to BE things; beautiful, desirable, independent - but in style - and a whole variety of roles... I think women "fall victim" to avertising as much as men and aren't stupid either, but rather that advertisers are master manipulators who know how to work whatever demographic or sex they're targeting SCARY well.

Advertisers sell sex very effectively to EVERYONE and I think it both men and women (who pay attention and think about things) can see, in an inverted way, the mechanics of the advertising to their opposite sexed peers more easily than those who are target for manipulation in the ads, since what's developed to be subliminal to one state of mind tends to stand out to the other.

That's the patterns I see, anyway.

 

[KiKiweaky]

Yeah, they should. It's hilarious.

Old Spice Add

This post brought to you by Pleary S&P, a Captcha corporation.

Probably one of the funniest adds I have ever seen, a mate showed it to me a while back and I can watch it again and still find it funny haha

 

[lacktheknack]

I'm mainly talking about perfume adverts.
Seriously, what is up with them?

People use deodorants if they don't want to smell bad.
They use perfumes if they want to smell good, and in most cases increase their chances of attracting the opposite (or same) gender, so they are at least indirectly related to sex, so i don't see what's wrong with using sex to advertise them.

<youtube=7K2GAoBTuc4>

At some point, you cross a line from suggestive to "blatantly lying about the power of your product".

 

[kasperbbs]

I would never buy a product only because there was a hottie in the advert, but that might prevent some people from switching the channel to skip the ads, people already hate them so why make it even worse by casting someone not pleasant to look at.

 

[devilkingx]

Eh it seems to me, that the male mind will always fall victim to sex, and i dont say that saying they're stupid, just that, they're sort of programmed like that. As a lesbian woman, a sexy ad always catches my eyes, but it doesnt mean i buy into anything. Like, that ad for cherry dr pepper with Fergie. SO HOT, but i dont drink dr pepper. at all. ever.

why not its the best soda ever(which makes it better than water, milk, and juice as a whole)

sex sells because if it doesnt that means everyone who sees the ad is gay, which means that basically the human race is fucking over in 100 or so years we'll have all died

whats annoying is when people complain about the sex in something, look people not only is not liking the opposite sex a sign of homosexuality but if people as a whole thought like you there wouldnt be 7 billion people and growing, there'd be like 156 people and falling

I'm mainly talking about perfume adverts.
Seriously, what is up with them?

People use deodorants if they don't want to smell bad.
They use perfumes if they want to smell good, and in most cases increase their chances of attracting the opposite (or same) gender, so they are at least indirectly related to sex, so i don't see what's wrong with using sex to advertise them.

<youtube=7K2GAoBTuc4>

At some point, you cross a line from suggestive to "blatantly lying about the power of your product".

why do i have a strong urge to buy that product?

 

[Loner Jo Jo]

As a capitalist pig, I say if it makes you money, go for it. Flash massive cleavage in commercials aimed at men. Show rippling muscles in ads directed at women. If it works, do it.

Sex doesn't really sell outside of erotic and pornographic industries, it's the wish-fulfillment that sells. The claim that their product is the first step towards becoming the person you want to be, who has the things you want to have. And for most people that includes an attractive partner and admiration by the gender they're attracted to.

I think you're misinterpreting the idea. Yeah, sure, you can't show two people getting it on to sell most products because the public outcry would be ridiculous, you're right on that. However, I think it's more "Playing to someone's sexuality or fears about their attractiveness sells." You're not going to find ugly people in commercials or even average people, at least if it's an ad done by a bigger company that can afford top models/actors. Hell, even in the commercials for the Snuggie, all the people in that commercial were attractive individuals.

Everyone wants to be attractive and find someone who is attractive. In beer commercials, the guys are always surrounded by hot women. While people don't consciously think this, it sends the message that men who drink this beer are more appealing to women. Same goes for women. They also prey on people's fears. In Victoria Secret commercials, which is a woman's product mind you, they only show the most curvacious women with seemingly perfect bodies and women suddenly think unless I have the matching bra and panty set from Victoria Secret, my man won't find me sexy. People will always be fascinated with sex and always worry whether or not they are sexy. Companies will probably always use this to their advantage because it works.

 

[devilkingx]

Does it sell? Yes.
Should it? Well...

I usually try to boycott the product if the ad irritates me. That includes adding sex appeal to something that is not actually selling me sex.

On the topic of deodorant/body-washes/shampoo/soap,
Hygiene should not have to be marketed through sex to be bought. It "should" be a basic necessity for day to day life. If you smell like shit no one will want to be near you and if you smell bad enough most businesses will refuse you service.

If you want your product to sell you can create a new scent, appeal to niche markets like people with easily irritated skin, create a formula that actually last as long as the label claims, or just have the lowest price amongst your competitors. Wall*mart proved that if you have anywhere near brand name quality at fraction of the price IT WILL SELL. Most grown men don't care as long as it works and will buy the cheaper product.

To be a bit more ranty:
AXE commercials. Whoever writes those misandrist, horrifying excuses for advertising needs to be shot. If you are not in middle school and buy AXE after those "get girl approved X" ads came out, I hope you realize they actually told you that you are too stupid to clean yourself with or without their products and still expect you to buy their shit. There was no sex appeal there. The mob of girls pounce on a guy, style his hair, and LEAVE. The product doesn't get you girls. Not using the product is what gets the girls to notice you, even if it's only about how disgusting your hair is.

would you rather a heterosexual male style your hair? no you wouldnt because no heterosexual male knows jack shit about hair styling

As a capitalist pig, I say if it makes you money, go for it. Flash massive cleavage in commercials aimed at men. Show rippling muscles in ads directed at women. If it works, do it.

better than being communist scum who pays sports superstars only slightly more than unintelligent factory workers amirite?

 

[Hitokiri_Gensai]

Eh it seems to me, that the male mind will always fall victim to sex, and i dont say that saying they're stupid, just that, they're sort of programmed like that. As a lesbian woman, a sexy ad always catches my eyes, but it doesnt mean i buy into anything. Like, that ad for cherry dr pepper with Fergie. SO HOT, but i dont drink dr pepper. at all. ever.

why not its the best soda ever(which makes it better than water, milk, and juice as a whole)

mainly cause i dont often drink soda, and when i do i prefer ginger brew. like Jamacian style Ginger Brew. SOOOO GOOD.

 

[Mad World]

I don't think that they should. It's wrong. Also, it make people think that they should look a certain way, which isn't a good thing.

 

[Zantos]

I'm not going to buy a product just because the advert has hot women in revealing clothing, but I sure as shit pay more attention when it does.

 

[Radelaide]

Sex sells, but prostitution is illegal.

Work that one out.