Communication
Sex Sells In Advertising - Or Does It ?
By Anthony Taiti
The race to be the most prominent brand has dramatically altered the advertising scene , with ads evolving from sexual undertones to overtones . We have witnessed numerous brands treading a fine line between capturing the public ’ s attention and crossing a moral red line .
In essence , the spirit of advertising is to provide consumers with relevant information about a product or service to help them make informed decisions . Unfortunately , advertising has degraded into a circus of quirky erotic distractions without regard for product relevance or cultural context . Let us put this into perspective by considering an ad for cooking oil , which is a common commodity in many homes . Naturally , one would expect to see typical scenes involving food and cooking . It , therefore , makes no sense for such an ad to have erotic scenes that make individuals feel uncomfortable viewing it with their families .
The belief that sex sells has substantially contributed to laziness in creative copywriting , with many brands blindly adopting this tactic . David Ogilvy , the “ Father of Advertising ,” did not shy away from commenting on the subject . He did not believe in the notion that sex always sells . According to him , the relevance of ad content to the product being marketed is critical , and therefore the use of sexual tones can only be effective when the two are completely aligned .
Today , the use of irrelevant sexual tones in advertising is highly debated , with many consumers becoming increasingly sceptical of brands that utilize such tactics , which they consider manipulative . In Kenya , for example , a household cleaning brand found itself at the centre of a heated debate over an ad for one of its products that contained sexual imagery . It elicited an avalanche of sentiments , splitting people into two camps : those who applauded it and those who condemned it . The former argued that the ad ' s creativity was topnotch-out-of-the-box thinking , whereas the latter felt that it was over the top , failing to observe basic moral standards .
Some brands have embraced P . T . Barnum ' s claim that there ' s no such thing as bad publicity . But , when all is said and done , does their ad enhance their bottom line ? In other words , does the ad influence people to buy , or does it only spark a debate ? According to a 2015 study published by the American Psychological Association , people pay more attention to the sexual tones of an ad than to the actual product being advertised . As a result , memory , attitudes , and buying intentions all decrease .
On the same note , some brands have quite literally embraced Oscar Wilde ' s assertion that the only thing in the world worse than being talked about is not being talked about . They are more concerned with getting people talking than with getting people to buy . They are willing to risk negative publicity by creating ads that are merely thirst traps designed to provoke reactions . In the process , their ads lack clear , helpful messages for consumers and , if they do , are vague . It is difficult to fathom how some of them get approved , given the scrutiny they undergo . And while some have gotten away with it , brands should avoid taking such risks altogether ; otherwise , they are playing Russian roulette .
The use of irrelevant sexual overtones in advertising can be considered a doubleedged sword . While it may create buzz and attract short-term attention , the longterm implications can be detrimental to brand reputation and consumer trust .
The sentiments expressed by Kenyans in the debate on the cleaning product ad mentioned here-in are a testament to the growing public awareness of the use of eroticism as a manipulative tactic in advertising . With this important development , brands have no choice but to ditch irrelevant sexual overtones in favour of more creative approaches that resonate with the products they advertise .
When copywriting , the main goal should be to influence sales by clearly communicating the key information about the product or conveying the overall brand message . While it is okay for advertisers to add an ember that causes an ad to spur conversation , they must never go overboard . By remaining creatively relevant , brands can still stand out and appeal to a broader audience . In fact , ads devoid of sexual overtones can help them build more robust , genuine connections with people across diverse segments .
In an era when social responsibility is becoming increasingly important , advertisers have a crucial role to play in shaping societal norms and values . Brands can positively impact attitudes and behaviours through relevant and decent advertising content .
In the end , standing out for the right reasons is critical in today ' s highly competitive marketplace .
Anthony Taiti is Public Relations and Communication professional , currently heading Corporate Affairs at Pan Africa Christian University . You can connect with him via mail at : ATaiti09 @ gmail . com
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