Sex In Advertising

Many brands throughout the decades have used sex within their adverts to promote sales, in order to attract a potential consumer and promote sales. It seems sex in advertising have been used since the very beginning.
Such as wood carvings and illustrations of attractive, topless woman to promote saloons, tonics and tobacco. The first known ad of sex being used within the advertising industry was in 1871 to promote the Pearl Tobacco Brand which had a naked maiden on the packet.

Even today, it seems sex appeal in advertising has not seemed to changed within the industry and more then ever is it used to attract the consumer.

Calvin Klein has been at the forefront of sex in advertising, it seems many designer brands use this particular method to push sales towards a potential consumer. Brands such as Tom Ford, Dolce & Gabanna and Victoria's Secret always tend to use sexually oriented themes. They constantly rely on sex to sell their brands, to fulfil everyones deepest, secret desires. Subconsciously sex grabs our attention, every time - We are intrigued and provides a sense of shock towards the consumer.

However, although Ford's campaigns are quite distasteful, I think they carry an important message. Ford's campaigns are so explicit that they break the viewer out of their comfort zone. Every day we are presented with nudity, sexualized puns and women being fetishized and objectified. However, Ford's advertisements are so graphic that one must wonder if he is satirizing the current environment.

Many believe that Tom Ford's Campaigns are distasteful and very explicit. Although this most definitely gets the viewers attention and brings them out of their comfort zone from the usual everyday adverts. 
Ford's campaigns are well known for collaborating with photographer Terry Richardson.

It may seem when using men or women in a sexual way in advertising will get the attention of the opposite sex, by either having the desire of their partner resembling the model in the ad or the consumer wishes to look just like the model, the ad in some ways is saying if you buy this product you will look like this or be in this type of situation if you have this product. However, are our society really that stupid? Do they really think if they buy a certain fragrance then they will become as buff as the model who was in the advert? who knows, but it is certain that sex will always grab the viewers attention in a good or bad way.

http://trendsupdates.com/what-stakeholders-can-do-to-address-‘sex’-in-ads/

http://www.andmagazine.com/content/phoenix/12520.html