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From the moment we turn on our televisions, we are bombarded with images of hot bodies in commercials. Women are often seen in provocative poses and clingy outfits, while men are seen showing off their chiseled pecks and abs. These images are not only limited to television, but can be found in advertisements in magazines, newspapers, billboards, and even on CD covers. The motto ‘sex sells’ looks to have been proved true when analysts have examined the different methods used in marketing products and services to consumers. Although the United States is one of the world’s top advertisers and marketers of sex, countries all over the world have much more shocking and sex-filled commercials that would never be aired here.
With the topic of sex in advertising, I hope to be able to find out its actual effectiveness through statistics which compare audience's reactions to seeing a young and attractive female in a commercial versus an older mom-like female. Also, I would like to see which ages are more prone to buy products from commercials loaded with sex appeal, as well as differences in the two gender's opinions on sex in advertising.
My targeted audience for this topic is for people like myself who are advertising majors and who wish to learn the best ways to market products and services for intended consumers. In this day and age, everyone is subjected to sex and sexuality in numerous different ways, both positive and negative. I would like to see sex appeal being used in a positive way to sell a product, not just in a crude manner.
Is Sexual Advertising Acceptable? This site explores the controversy surrounding the use of sex in advertising. It attacks both sides of the issue by analyzing ad campaigns and reactions from those who have seen them. For instance, it is explained just how lucrative the Calvin Klein ads have been, yet the strong sexual nature of the ads is debated in it's effectiveness.
Source: The site was produced by Hayley Fite, Jeanean Fite, Kara McElwee, Brad Neal, and Sara Smith who are all involved in media advertising. No other source of information was indicated on the site.
There are numerous ads on this site that poke fun at advertising agencies for some of their ads. They range from overly provocative ads to ones that no one understood. It lets you link to other sites and articles that deal with sex in advertising.
Source: This site was made by the people from Sharrow and Associates who are affiliated with the Sharrow Advertising and Marketing Research Center. No other source of information was indicated on the site.
This site is loaded with information for and about women from body image to sexuality to single monthers. A long list of categories allows you to chose which topics you would like to exlplore, leading you to articles and other websites with lots more info. The media and news sections have a lot to offer about women and their roles with and in advertising.
Source: Nikki Katz is your guide to the Women's Issues section of this web site, which is a registered trademark for About.com, Inc. No other source of information was indicated on this site.
"Men are basically promiscuous; women are basically selective." A quote like that will grab just about anyone's attention. By Richard Taflinger, this site holds a discussion and explanation of sex appeal, biological needs and their anatomical origins.
Source: This site was created by Richard F. Taflinger who is affiliated with Washington State University as well as the Edward R. Murrow School of Communication. No other sourse of information was indicated on this site.
This site is a hilarious commentary on the stereotypical usage of sex appeal when marketing alcohol. 'Pirate Nick' gives his variations of insulting and non-insulting usage of sex in advertising, especially when it comes to women.
Source: This site was created by Nick Baban who resides in Oakland, California and is happily married. No other source of information was indicated on this site.
Saunders, Dave. Best Ads. Sex in Advertising. London: B.T. Batsford, 1996.
Tan, Hong-Im. The Use of Sexual Appeals in Magazine Advertising. Thesis. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1990.
Killing us Softly. Dir. Sut Jhally. 34 min. Media Education Foundation, 2000.
Campell, D. (2000, August 6). Inside sport. The Observer [Online], p.11SP. Available: LEXIS-NEXIS Academic universe [2001, July 24].
Jensen, Jeff. (2000, August 11). Bawdy & sole; what's up with that reebok ad? Entertainment Weekly [Online], 3 paragraphs. Available: LEXIS-NEXIS Academic Universe [2001, July 24].
Leavy, Suzan. (2001, March 9). Ads that make the news. Campaign [Online], 18 paragraphs. Available: LEXIS-NEXIS Academic Universe [2001, July 24].
Palmer, Camilla. (2001, June 29). Live issue/tease advertising. Campaign [Online], 15 paragraphs. Available: LEXIS-NEXIS Academic Universe [2001, July 24].
Speer, Larry. (2001, May 1). French government attacks 'sexist' ads. Ad Age Global [Online], 10 paragraphs. Available: LEXIS-NEXIS Academic Universe [2001, July 24].
Stamler, B. (2000, August 9). The Media Business: Advertising; Sex appeal still overpowers sports skill when it comes to the marketing of female athletes. The New York Times [Online], p.2C. Available: Lexix-NEXIS Academic Universe [2001, July 24].
The Fall of Dot-Coms and the Rise of Unemployment
Take a look at some of the raw numbers that coincide with the dot-com craze. In 2000, 210 of them closed down, although 87 billion dollars was spent on mergers and acquisitions. Yet between 12,000 and 15,000 employees lost their jobs as a result of these company closures.(1) From February of 2000 to February 2001, over 30,000 Internet jobs were cut from almost 400 companies.
So why all the discouraging news? There are high risks involved with dot-coms, especially with those companies just starting up. People who invest in these online-only companies tend to demand greater profits in less time than they expect from traditional companies. When the profits do not come, investors sell and stock prices fall. Now that stock prices are plummeting, companies are forced to merge or to sell out in order to survive. The leading state in closings was California with 66 Internet companies shutting down along with both Massachusetts and New York not too far behind with 20 each. There is not much room with these dot-coms for loyalty since money is money.
Take Alta Vista's parent company, CMGI, as an example. In 1999, shares in the company skyrocketed from $42 a share to more than $300. In 2000, the shares dropped by 90 percent.(2) Many dot-coms are having to shut down because they waited too long before looking for a buyer. Larger Internet companies are often the buyers of dot-coms, as they have often been the only ones able to afford them. Now that these dot-com companies are being offered at bargain prices, traditional companies can afford to buy them as well.
Although there is a high potential for rewards with starting up dot-coms, it is incredibly naive for buyers to think that they are immediately going to wind up millionaires. Just take those 30,000-plus people standing at the unemployment line as an example.
NOTES:
(2) Amy Harmon, "Ideas & Trends; Virtual Revenge and the Decline of the Dot-Coms,"
The New York Times, 15 July 2001, p.4(S4) Also Available [Online]: LEXIS-NEXIS
Academic Universe [Accessed: 24 July 2001].
Dot-Coms Struggle To Meet Expectations
Bad News For Dot.Coms
210 Dot-coms Closed in 2000, E-Commerce Leads the Way
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SEX SEX SEX in Advertising: It Works 
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