Does Sex Sell?

Student’s Name:
Course:
Instructor:
Date:
Abstract
When you get into the advertising industry, you will hear the phrase: sex sells. Marketers normally use radical techniques like sexual imagery to capture the attention of their audience in their advertisement. It refers to sexy or beautiful women and handsome men used to lure viewers, listeners or readers. It is also incorporated by the use of hints of sexual behavior such as flirtatious body language, open posture and eye contact with the viewer. The pervasiveness of the strategy is the fact that most companies believe that sex appeal works well. Sex appeal is an attention getter in marketing ads. In some cases, the products present natural openings for sexual ads contents. The tactic has proven to sell hence various companies, and brands have embraced it when it comes to their advertising content. The paper agrees with the phrase: sex sells considering various reasons examples of companies that have used the same strategy in their advertising.
Does Sex Sell?
Sex in advertising or marketing is the use of sexually provocative imagery (subliminal messages, sounds, and suggestions) that are designed specifically to arouse interest in particular products, brands or services. The question that needs to be answered is whether sex actually sells. The answer is yes, sex sells. Sex appeal in adverts is generally perceived as an effective approach to attracting attention to your products or brand. Popular men’s magazines such as FHM and Maxim have often experimented with their covers.

They have noted that when a semi-naked or a sexy woman is printed on the covers, the magazine outperforms overwhelmingly an image of a male celebrity even if that celebrity is someone that men want to read about. When ads are sexually provocative, men in specific are normally irresistibly drawn to them. Men respond to sexual images, it is simple genetics.
In the event company’s ads create sexual situations, it will probably get the desired response. Therefore sex appeal works in advertising. For example, GoDaddy.com is an internet hosting services provider that epitomizes sex appeal. The company has employed a wide range of provocative online and racy television ads featuring “GoDaddy Girls.” The company’s ads normally feature scantily clad women as well as sensual messaging which attract visitors to read more on the company’s website as well as its products (Kokemuller N.p). In particular, fashion, alcohol, car and perfume adverts have largely created a strong link with sex. In other words, as much as sex appeal works for certain products, it does not mean that it can sell anything. Therefore, in case you are marketing a male deodorant, then it may not be wise to overlook sex appeal. But in case you are trying to market a new sofa with sex and nudity then you may be doing a serious disservice to your product.
Work Cited
Kokemuller, Neil. “Examples Of How Sex Appeal In Advertising Works.” Smallbusiness.chron.com. N.p., 2017. Web. 17 Jan. 2018.