Do you want to have sex? Advertising executives across the nation are betting that you do. The use of sexual innuendo to sell all manner of items from cars to telephones, and computers to colognes has become commonplace. Agencies have spent millions of dollars researching specific age groups and demographics in an effort to make their client's product appear sexy. Is sex appeal an effective tool for marketing a product? In an effort to answer this question, I chose two separate magazine ads for colognes, Candies and Allure, and compared their sexual overtones.
While it may seem that all advertisements for Candies are blatantly sexual in their implications, I did find one that stood out as especially provocative. The ad features a young man and woman, in their late teens to early twenties, seated at a desk with a computer on it. The young woman was clearly chosen for her beauty and the make-up department went all out in an effort to emphasize her beauty. She is suggestively dressed in an extremely short pair of black leather shorts with matching calf high boots with a platform sole. She is wearing a tight pink cardigan style sweater with a fuzzy red collar that closely resembles a feather boa in miniature. Her sweater is buttoned with a single button to expose her midriff and she is seated astride the computer monitor with her legs splayed apart in a decidedly arousing pose. She is the perfect vision of reckless sexuality.
Seated in front of her is a chiseled young man with All-American good looks and a bad boy demeanor. He is dressed simply in a pair of black leather pants and a black tank top that reveals a modest assortment of tattoos. He is turned slightly askew to allow a full view of the young woman and the computer monitor between her legs. He is looking at the camera with a mischievous grin and depressing a button on the computer's keyboard. The image on the monitor is that of a space shuttle launching upwards to a place that decorum will not allow me to discuss. The product logo, “Candies, fragrances for men and women”, is displayed in the background but more than cologne is being sold in this ad.
The advertisement for Allure cologne is far more subtle in its overtones but the implication of sexuality exists nonetheless. The ad uses a black and white portrait shot of a strikingly handsome golfer. He is set in deep shadows that allow only his face and hair to be seen clearly. His hair is well groomed in a manner that suggests that he takes great pride in his appearance but does not dwell on it. An assortment of crow's feet and laugh lines create a sense of ruggedness blended with maturity. He is grinning with a confidence and self-assuredness that adds to the strong features of his mildly chiseled face. A large golden bottle of Allure is blended into the foreground with the phrase, “Real men. Real allure.” printed at the top of the page.
The Candies ad is clearly targeting the rebellious nature of young men and women who want their pleasures fast and wild. This ad specifically targets young men as evidenced by the use of such a provocatively dressed young woman in such a suggestive pose. The name of the cologne is even engineered to imply sex. In this ad, the woman is the main attraction, or the candy. The ad negatively portrays the woman implying that she is a recreational sweet for the man in the ad. In other words, the woman is the candy that the man may obtain by using their product, hence the name Candies.
In contrast, Allure appears to be seeking out an older, more refined target demographic. The emphasis in this ad is placed on the product, not cheap innuendo and flashy colors. This is accomplished by placing the bottle in the foreground and leaving the model cloaked in shadows. Although the emphasis is placed on the product, you cannot disregard the impact the model has in the overall symbolism of sexuality. The advertiser's choice of a ruggedly handsome man and their logo, “Real men. Real allure.” appeals to the average professional man working the nine to five grind. This may also appeal to professional women who are attracted by the confidence such a man portrays.
The men and women of the advertising community are very well aware of the importance of capturing the attention of their target audiences. The power of physical beauty is not lost on these people either. Sex appeal has been used in marketing since marketing has been in use and the reason for this long association is a simple one. It works. As distasteful as the Candies ad is, it will appeal to a significant portion of the cologne buying market. The same can said of the ad for Allure, though it is more tastefully done. In fairness, it is important to note that these advertisements are not really selling sex, nor are they really selling the products listed. The real product for sale in these ads, and many like them, is fantasy.
