SEX SELL
SEX-SELL BY KRZYSZTOF GLAZ
Advertising has basically always exploited sexuality. Advertising pioneer Edward Bernays, privately a nephew of Sigmund Freud, made extensive use of the Freudian idea of libido and its effect on human behavior in his adverts, which spilled over into the whole industry. At the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, products were commonly advertised in trade magazines and catalogues using images of naked women.
Nudity has been used to attract attention since the dawn of time. Depending on the environment and customs, it could look different. While in antiquity you had to make an effort, in the Middle Ages showing your ankles could end in a scandal. However, the use of sexuality for purely advertising purposes did not appear until the turn of the 17th and 19th century.
H I S T O RY
II
SEX-SELL PUBLICATION
The woman was a metaphor for the quality of the product and it was around beauty that the advertising messages revolved. Were they effective? At the time, only men read these types of publications, so they must have been quite popular. It is, however, difficult to assess their impact on sales, as there was not yet as much competition in the market and a flood of advertising messages.
F I R S T advert
In 1911, for the first time, a public service advertisement aimed at women was presented which used eroticism. Woodbury Soap was initially advertised as a remedy for skin imperfections. However, sales were falling and the company had to change
The survey revealed that most women did not use soap for skin care and that their biggest dream was to have an affair with a handsome man. From this, an idea was born - to show women how taking care of their skin would affect their lives and convince them that a handsome man finds a well-groomed woman attractive. The ‘Skin you love to touch’ series of adverts featuring a beautiful woman in the embrace of a handsome man proved a great success. Each advertisement told
tactics. The manufacturer hired the world’s first advertising agency, J. Walter Thompson. As part of their market research, the agency spoke to women, asking them what they liked about the product and what they really needed. III SEX-SELL PUBLICATION
women how to take care of themselves and what products to use to have beautiful skin, which would certainly arouse the interest of handsome men. Sales increased by over 500%, which was clear proof that sex can sell even soap. The success convinced competitors and companies from other industries. In the following years everyone wanted to take advantage of this by giving a sexual touch to even unattractive products such as work clothes.
STEREOTYPICAL
This is related to the unrealistic image of a woman who is always young and attractive that is created through television. The image of a woman who only performs the traditional role of mother and wife known from advertising is outdated and obsolete. Manufacturers and advertisers of various types of cosmetics, body care products, household appliances and similar products rely on stereotypes of women. The goods offereare supposed to make the users perfect: beautiful and shapely “priestesses” of the household. The spots and posters suggest that by using the advertised products every woman, regardless of age, can look exactly like the models, clean like a qualified cleaner and cook like a top chef.
Advertising is an indispensable part of modern life and, despite our best intentions, it would be impossible to avoid it. The stereotypical role of women in advertising is to take care of the home and children and to be sexual objects. By influencing the psyche of those around women (e.g. their partners), advertising can interfere to some extent in women’slives. It can also have a negative impact on their self-esteem.
IMAGE OF W O M E N
IV
SEX-SELL PUBLICATION
During the washing process, they even turn into fairies who, with the right powders, make every stain disappear. Men, on the other hand, achieve professional success, go out for a beer with their mates and enjoy all kinds of entertainment. Fortunately, the image of women created by television has begun to change in recent years. Women are increasingly shown in a much more favorable light, that is, as people who work not only at home but also professionally. Among other things, the inner strength and independence of women are beginning to be emphasized. Unfortunately, too few men are still shown doing housework or looking after children. Television continues to spread stereotypes about the role and place of men and women in society.
In many advertisements the message is simple - use this and you will be more attractive, you will feel sexy, women will chase you. That is how they advertise perfume, lingerie or expensive cars, but what is the point of sex in advertising products that are not sexy at all, such as building materials, for example? Does a picture of a sexy woman help sell building materials? Sex works in several ways. First and foremost, it draws attention. It is a strongly ingrained response in our primal brain for the survival of the species. This cannot be ignored. The heterosexual male brain is programmed to respond instantly to the sight of an attractive woman. Showing attractive women to men has a justification, but isn’t it just a cheap trick that may get attention but has no effect on sales?
D O E SD O E S S E XS E X MEANMEAN SALE? SALE? V
SEX-SELL PUBLICATION
Jeans were known as hard-wearing trousers ideal for work. Reinforced seams, rivets, cheap material... They were usually bought for children and by workers, but when they started to be presented as tight trousers worn by sexy models, they quickly became a fashion hit coveted by all. The modest product became sex symbol. This was cleverly exploited by Calvin Klein, the author of the first advertising scandal. For his trousers, he hired a 15-year-old model, who in a defiant pose declares: “What’s between me and my Calvins? Nothing.” This was crossing a moral boundary. People found it scandalous. It was a seemingly innocent advertisement, but the slogan stirred the imagination.
CALVIN KLEIN’S
It was in the realm of words that we took a risk. “It is more interesting if we rely on people’s imagination if we allow for interpretation. Then the ad is more interesting than the obvious message,” explains Calvin Klein. Most Americans heard about the brand through this commercial. Parents were outraged, and young people wanted more, the designer adds. Sales skyrocketed. Everyone wanted to wear calvins. In the first week 200 thousand pairs of pants were sold. Is this a proof that sex sells? Certainly, controversy translates into recognition, and popularity drives demand.
S C A N D A L S C A N D A L VI
SEX-SELL PUBLICATION
Tipalet cigarettes 1950s vintage advert. In the image we can see a man who is blowing smoke into a women’s face and the ad reads, “Blow in her face and she’ll follow you anywhere.” It is very degrading for the woman and shows her low position.
a d v e r t
In this Mercedes Benz’s advert we can clearly see that a woman’s breasts have been treated as an impersonal object and, by presenting the advertised car in this way, it becomes more attractive for men, of course, while women have been treated objectively.
e x a m p l e s
This 2007 Tom Ford for Men fragrance advertisement was swiftly banned in Italy. The commercial is getting a lot of attention for the provocative image of a woman. The lubed-up woman has her legs parted wide and holding there a bottle of Tom Ford fragrance between her legs.
VII SEX-SELL PUBLICATION
In an advertisement for a men’s shower gel, an image of a woman with a sexy body on which is written “Wash me” was used in a crude way. This is one of many examples of how a manufacturer tries to attract a customer’s attention and the advertisement has little to do with the product.
profits From an ethical point of view, the use of sexuality and eroticism in advertising is something completely unacceptable. It can scorn the recipients and negatively influence the psychological and moral development of children and adolescents. However, there is no doubt that this kind of messages are effective in attracting attention and if used well can work to the advantage of the brand. Eric Zanot, of the University of Maryland, believes that sex in advertising will always be there. Sometimes less, sometimes more, but it will still be present in marketing activities. It is hard not to agree with that. Eroticism is a theme that has always been present in our culture and it is not likely to disappear anytime soon. And although it could be fought against, institutions dealing with advertising ethics are more inclined to regulate this kind of activities.
Therefore, the most important thing is that the message does not offend the audience, is distributed directly to the target group and is created with social responsibility in mind.
V e r s u eticS In conclusion, the most important objective of advertising is to present the product in the best possible way and to make the audience buy the advertised item. Often the increase in sales is achieved at the cost of showing a negative image of a woman. Unfortunately, in order to stop the creators of advertisements from showing spots in which women appear in a standard, traditional role or become objects rather than subjects of the creator’s vision, it would probably be necessary to ban such productions and introduce sanctions against producers and creators of advertisements.