Sexuality in Advertising the Use

Sexuality in Advertising

The use of sex in advertising may create unrealistic ideals for men regarding women, however, it is a powerful tool for selling products.

Sex is the second strongest of the psychological appeals, right behind self-preservation, and its strength is biological and instinctive, the genetic imperative of reproduction (Taflinger pp). Sexual desire is an instinctive reaction in animals, and a person's perception of a suitable mate is the basis (Taflinger pp). That perception is usually a set of criteria that the opposite sex must meet, and those that meet and exceed those criteria will provide the chance for the highest quality offspring with the best chance of survival (Taflinger pp).

In time and energy, the male expends virtually nothing in sexual contact compared to the female, biologically, the best strategy for a man is to be promiscuous because the more women with whom he mates, the greater number of children containing his genes are possible (Taflinger pp). Thus, a man's biological criteria can be simple: "she must be healthy; she must be young; she must be receptive; and she must be impregnable" (Taflinger pp). However, women have a greater physical, physiological and temporal stake in producing children, which means she is more interested in the quality of genes he brings and the help she will have while carrying, bearing and rearing the children (Taflinger pp).

The purpose of advertising is to convince people that products are of use to them in one way or another, and advertisers must do it very quickly, because it does not have the time or the space to go into detail or explanations (Taflinger pp). The sexual connection is much easier to set up for men than for women, since men have minimal criteria for sexual desire, basically, they are concerned with a woman's anatomy, thus, as long as she looks young and healthy, she is desirable (Taflinger pp). Also, men consider her beautiful, because to a men, beautiful and sexually attractive are virtually synonymous (Taflinger pp). Therefore, it is easy for advertisers to get a man's attention by using women's bodies and associate getting the woman with buying the product (Taflinger pp). The advertiser is playing on his instinctive rather than intellectual view of the world, thus the ad spends no time discussing her qualifications for sexual desire, her mere existence is enough (Taflinger pp). Moreover, most men are aware that women are less concerned with mere anatomy, since they are looking for more, thus advertising can show the woman and sell the product on the basis of women want this product in a man. Get the product, get the woman" (Taflinger pp).

The use of sex in advertising to women is much more difficult because although women have an instinctive sexual reaction, their intelligence strongly affects it at the same time (Taflinger pp). The use of healthy, fit men may indeed attract their attention and create desire, however, their willingness to engage in intercourse is rarely aroused strictly because of a man's body (Taflinger pp). For women, sexual desire is a complex mixture of factors, most of which are very difficult to inject into an ad in the time and space available (Taflinger pp). Although a man's physical appearance does play a role, suggesting health and strength, their instinctive concern is the long-run, not the short-term, therefore, women must see that he is capable not only of sexual activity, but that he can father healthy children, support and nurture her during pregnancy and birth, and herself and the child after birth, plus assure that the child will be better off than any competition might have (Taflinger pp). Thus, it is rare for advertising to use sex as an appeal for women (Taflinger pp). For ads aimed at women, they can achieve the romance approach through using stereotypical images: roses, soft light and music, and a doting man (Taflinger pp).

Advertising is sold on the basis of the demographics of the audience expected to view the advertisements, and gender, or the social and cultural meanings associated with the maleness and femaleness imposed and expected by society, is a critical factor in developing marketing strategy via advertising messages emphasizing information that is though to persuade the male or female target (Wolin pp). Advertising decisions are made using a careful, fact-based scrutiny of the dynamic details of how consumers are feeling, thinking, processing, and behaving, all essential in forming effective advertising solutions (Wolin pp).

In an attempt to more fully understand gender and its relationship with advertising, gender positioning research has utilized several approaches (Wolin pp). Past studies have considered gendered advertising and its relationship with different media including print television, radio, and the Internet, while other studies considered the effects of gendered products and brands on the purchase patterns of males and females, and gender as it relates to advertising's effect on consumer behavior (Wolin pp).

Sexuality in advertising is a major area of ethical concern, however, surprisingly little is known about its effects or the norms of its use (Gould pp). The presence of sexual appeals in ads is very pervasive in the United States, and throughout much of the world (Gould pp). Contemporary consumption is often promoted in terms of fulfilling erotic fantasies and appetites, however, the use of such appeals is constantly contested in terms of ethics and morality, much as sexual norms and mores in general have been contested throughout the world (Gould pp). The issue of sexuality in advertising has been called a "soft issue," based in complex subjective and socially-culturally constructed roots and values (Gould pp). Sexual appeals used in ads are of many types and consist of a variety of elements, and are often grounded in visual elements, such as attractive models, and may portray varying degrees of nudity and suggestiveness (Gould pp). However, such appeals may also include suggestive verbal elements, suggestive music and even smells, such as in the "scent strip" advertising (Gould pp). Ads that simply use attractive, sexy models may be problematic for some people, however, consensus seems to be that such ads are acceptable (Gould pp). Research suggests that watching or reading forms of sexually explicit materials that are mixed and fused with violence may lead to negative outcomes, such as sexual violence and hostility toward women, whereas such outcomes are less likely to occur in response to watching nonviolent erotica, however, there also may be positive outcomes from using erotica, such as healthier attitudes toward sex and the release of pent-up sexual energy through nonharmful outlets (Gould pp).