International Journal Of Applied Services Marketing
International Journal of Applied Services Marketing Perspectives
Volume 1, Number 1, July -September 2012
THE EFFECT OF SEX APPEAL IN ADVERTISEMENTS ON ADOLESCENTS AN ETHICAL QUESTION
Dharmesh Motwani1 Khushbu Agarwal2
ABSTRACT
“Sex Sells”, is a very well known term in the advertising world, but now it is a much less powerful technique than before, due to the ethical dilemma surrounding it. Sex appeal is one of the most controversial advertising approaches found, that is although popular, faces a lot of criticism. Specially, the fact that many advertisers believe that consumers around the world have similar needs and desires and global marketing is becoming more homogenous.
The purpose of this research paper is to answer the following questions:
The impact of gender & age on the degree of affection to the advertisements.
The effect of sex appeal in advertisements, on the consumer’s buying decision.
To develop the conclusions, exploratory & descriptive research designs are used. Primary data is collected with the help of
Focus group technique & questionnaire method & data is analyzed with the help of various statistical techniques.
Conclusions of this paper help in clarifying the ethical dilemma of advertisements.
INTRODUCTION
Over the years advertising and marketing communication messages have created a lot of debatable ethical issues, due to the public belief, that advertisements nowadays deeply affect the way people perceive themselves and the world surrounding them, including crucial actions and behaviors.
Ethics plays a definite role. There is no clear view of what is ethical and what is unethical when it comes to advertising, but with careful consideration and planning, it is possible for advertisers to find a common ground and use sexual appeals without offending people in the process. In order to have a better understanding of the situation, we need to further explore the world of advertisements, the appeals used, the targeted decision making
Volume 1, Number 1, July -September 2012
THE EFFECT OF SEX APPEAL IN ADVERTISEMENTS ON ADOLESCENTS AN ETHICAL QUESTION
Dharmesh Motwani1 Khushbu Agarwal2
ABSTRACT
“Sex Sells”, is a very well known term in the advertising world, but now it is a much less powerful technique than before, due to the ethical dilemma surrounding it. Sex appeal is one of the most controversial advertising approaches found, that is although popular, faces a lot of criticism. Specially, the fact that many advertisers believe that consumers around the world have similar needs and desires and global marketing is becoming more homogenous.
The purpose of this research paper is to answer the following questions:
The impact of gender & age on the degree of affection to the advertisements.
The effect of sex appeal in advertisements, on the consumer’s buying decision.
To develop the conclusions, exploratory & descriptive research designs are used. Primary data is collected with the help of
Focus group technique & questionnaire method & data is analyzed with the help of various statistical techniques.
Conclusions of this paper help in clarifying the ethical dilemma of advertisements.
INTRODUCTION
Over the years advertising and marketing communication messages have created a lot of debatable ethical issues, due to the public belief, that advertisements nowadays deeply affect the way people perceive themselves and the world surrounding them, including crucial actions and behaviors.
Ethics plays a definite role. There is no clear view of what is ethical and what is unethical when it comes to advertising, but with careful consideration and planning, it is possible for advertisers to find a common ground and use sexual appeals without offending people in the process. In order to have a better understanding of the situation, we need to further explore the world of advertisements, the appeals used, the targeted decision making
References: Journal of Legal, Ethical and Regulatory Issues / Jan-July, 2006 “Ethics In Advertising: Sex Sells, But Should It?” by Jessica Dawn Blair, Jason Duane Stephenson, Kathy L Ramirez, A., and Reichert, T., (2000). “Defining Sexually Imagery In Advertising. A Grounded Theory Investigation”, Advances in Consumer Research, Vol Soley, Lawrence, and Leonard Reid, (1988). “Taking It Off: Are Models in Magazine Advertisements Wearing Less?”, Journalism Quarterly, 65, pp 960-66.