SEX SELLS, OR DOES IT?

“Sex sells.” We all know it to be true. We've heard it about a million times and we've accepted this much used mantra as a fact. It makes me wonder though. Is it always true? Would a sexy corpse sell more caskets? Does cleavage sell diapers to harried moms?

The products that use sexual advertising effectively are the impulse buys, the frivolous items we can do without, as well as clothes and toiletries that we hope will make us just as appealing as the ad suggests. Sex increases sales in alcohol, sports and gambling.

Using sex in advertising especially the use of sexy women as product stand-ins may bring in the shoppers for many products. It is becoming apparent that not all audiences respond well to the “Sex sells.” method of advertising for all products.

But this isn't really news. Extensive research was done in the 80's and 90's on the effectiveness of sex in advertising and it was pretty apparent even then that the results were determined by the audience and the product.

Sex Sells to Sexual Liberals

There was a study published in the Journal of Business and Psychology, which was written by Banwari Mittal and Walfried M. Lassar, entitled “Sexual Liberalism as a Determinant of Consumer Response to Sex in Advertising.” It showed that in groups where there were high levels of sexual liberalism, sex in advertising was likewise highly effective, but in more repressed groups, it became detrimental to the campaign.

According to Mittal and Lassar, the sexual liberalism of your target group will determine whether a sexy ad will be an effective selling point or seen as just manipulative and unjust.

WHEN DOES SEX NOT SELL?

Tom Reichert is head of the department of advertising and public relations in the UGA Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication. In the article “Magazine trends study finds increase in advertisements using sex” by April Reese Sorrow, Reichert is quoted to say, "Sex is not as effective when selling high-risk, informational products such as banking services, appliances and utility trucks."

If you are in the business of making people trust you, be careful that your customers don't equate the risk of promiscuity to the risk of using your product.

If you are selling booze or clothes to randy, old men, then go ahead and show a little skin in your ads. But if you are selling caskets or diapers or if you are selling ANYTHING to more conservative buyers, consider covering your models.