Sex in Advertising

Sex in Advertising Advertisers use sex as an expression of physical attractiveness to persuade consumers to purchase their product. There is also the shock value to get the attention of the consumer. This is evident in clothing, fragrance, and even hair care commercials. I recently viewed several television commercials and magazines, and found it especially interesting how sexual advertising tactics were used in the Lucky jeans, Herbal Essence shampoo, and Acqua di Gioia perfume commercials. Each advertiser implied their product could improve one’s lifestyle. The first commercial was for Herbal Essence shampoo. This commercial is a contributor to the adage “sex sells.” To sell their shampoo, the advertiser uses a beautiful woman who is moaning, “yes, yes, yes!” while washing her hair in the shower to make their product more appealing. The advertisers assume that when other women see this beautiful woman moaning while washing her hair in the shower, they will believe that using the shampoo is comparable to an orgasmic experience. The next ad was for Lucky jeans. The advertisers clearly play on the word “lucky” to manipulate the consumer’s perception in order to market their jeans more effectively. The magazine ad features an interaction between a young man and woman. The man is ogling the woman's breasts. He is looking at her, she is looking at the viewer, and the tagline reads, "Get Lucky." The implication is that if one wears Lucky jeans, one just might get lucky.

The other commercial was for Acqua di Gioia perfume. The commercial features a beautiful woman running through a rainforest in lingerie. Also predominant in this commercial is the use of water. With waves crashing in the distance and the crisp blue water matching the woman’s eyes fills the picture in another scene of the commercial, there are very few women in this world who would not want to look like this woman. Advertisers use sexual and erotic imagery in an attempt to