DOES 'SEXY' EQUAL SEXUALIZATION IN MARKETING?
A lot of campaigns are now showcasing women as 'sexy' in order to portray empowerment rather than sexualization as it once was. The focus of Victoria Secret's 20221 holiday campaign focused on showcasing the new plaid collection with 'sexy' photoshoot. This has allowed the women to take control of their bodies and reject the principles once set in place by the male gaze.
This concept is supported by other campaigns such as 'This Girl Can' and 'Consent is sexy' whereby women are learning to take control of their bodies and lives.
ARE MEN AND WOMEN EQUALLY PORTRAYED IN 2021?
Good America, created an ad which all major networks declined to air due to the model not being fully clothed. Whilst this advert was set out to show that jeans can make you fell com fordable in your body, it was seen as controversial to some. This is a demonstration that despite to what a man is able to do within marketing , compared to a woman.
ARE WOMEN STILL SEXUALISED IN MARKETING?
Whilst I would love to say that empowerment has taken over and women are no longer being sexualized within the marketing campaigns but this is not the true. The sexualization of women comes from two sources : the brand and the audience. Although brands globally are slowing coming away from this method of 'sex sells', a large majority of consumers are still sexualizing women they see in the media( even if they don't realize it!)
Just take a look at the whereby the vision surrounds women taking control of their body and being free with it.
This replicated within the Good America campaign featuring KHLOE KARDASHIAN. Whilst no nudity was included within this advert, all major TV networks refused to air the campaign due to Khloe not being fully clothed. Yet let us look at the countless shirtless men across our screens an deem that as acceptable?
If you ever wondered whether using sex in advertising helps to sell, here is the answer: it does! In fact, it is one of the strongest and most effective selling tools. The relationship between sex and marketing is winning combination for almost any business. However, if you don't know how to use it, you're risking putting off your potential customers.
The fact that sex sell is not a recent invention. The earliest known use of sex in advertising dates back to 1871, when Pearl Tobacco featured a naked maiden on the package cover. The first brands to enter this trend were: saloons, tonics and tobacco.
When talking about sex and marketing you cannot mention Calvin Klein and its famous advertising of jeans featuring at that time only 16-year-old Brooke Shields.' Want to know what gets between me and my Calvin's ? NOTHING!, slogan was as controversial as effective at driving sales. Indian ambassador Disha Patani her Calvin Klein campaigns always draws major criticisms from the media that justifies any marketing is positive marketing. After all SEX SELLS.
How does using sex in advertising work?
We have what is called a lizard brain (or an old brain). In terms of evolution, it is the oldest part of our brain and it’s responsible for survival. It pays attention to 3 things only: food, danger, and.. sex.
On top of your old brain, you have a mid and new brain (I cover the idea of 3 brains in a video), which take control of emotions and logical thinking.
Even though our lizard brain operates on subconscious level (and so we are not aware of its presence), it is continuously working, scanning environment in search of thinks that could endanger you, things that you could eat and things that you could have sex with.
This is why using sex in advertising is so powerful. Whenever a person is exposed to a sexual message, their old brain gets activated. And the second that happens, the old brain takes over. It is very difficult to ignore sexual messages.
We can use this to our advantage and it has always been used in marketing campaigns of different brands. Visuals are powerful! and sometimes it can be used to our advantage as long it it doesn't cross the lines of ethics and basic human decency.
This image of Dolce & Gabbana looks more kind of gang rape scene to me rather than an ad-campaign. We need to be careful while "sexing-up" the product marketing. Respect for a women should never be compromised at any cost. As tinder and Victoria secret angles say, 'NOTHING IS SEXIER THAN CONSENT.'
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