Download "A Brief History of Sex in Advertising"

"A Brief History of Sex in Advertising"
By Tory Ball & Paul Avers
____In 1924, the American Association of Advertising Agencies published the
advertising code of ethics, which stated that the following practices were
unethical:
- false or misleading statements or exaggerations, visual or verbal
- testimonials which did not reflect the real choice of a competent witness
- price claims which were misleading
- comparisons which unfairly disparaged a competitive product or service
- unsupported claims, or claims that distorted the true meaning of statements
made by professional or scientific authorities
- statements, suggestions or pictures offensive to public decency
(Making Sense of Media, p 309).
____If one were to evaluate each ethical code, they are rather vague in nature,
allowing an advertiser to push the limits of what is actually acceptable to
advertise about a product or service. In the specific case of the last code, sex is
more or less addressed as being potentially offensive to the public. The problem
with this code is that what is not found to be offensive to one person could just as
easily be found horrible and shocking to another. It is the responsibility of the
advertiser to maintain the delicate balance between pushing the envelope to
create a memorable advertisement and offending or outraging the public that
they are trying to convince to buy the product or service.
____Advertisers recognize the power that sexual imagery and suggestion have
on consumers. According to Neil E. Harrison, a writer for Canadian Business and
Current Affairs, “advertisers recognize that ''sex sells'' because it attracts
attention” (Harrison). Attention-getting techniques have always been the
cornerstone of advertising; even if it makes a consumer look in disgust, the point
is that the consumer looked, and if the imagery is pushing the envelope or
shocking or borderline offensive, it becomes more memorable.
____In some instances, sex has always been more accepted when it is used to
advertise a specific product type. As cited in the article “Playing the Game,”
which appeared in Marketing Week in July of 2002, “Perfume houses and lingerie
brands have long used sex in their advertising campaigns, and few people would
consider this to be out of place. But when purveyors of cheese, soft drinks, ale
and junk food start using sexual imagery in their marketing, some wonder
whether this is exploiting sex in an unacceptable way” (Playing the Game). When
a consumer sees an advertisement for lingerie, they are expecting a sexual
portrayal because of the nature of the product, however, when the same
consumer views an advertisement for potato chips, they are not expecting to see
sexual imagery because the product and sex are ironically diametrically opposed.
- TB/PA
WORKS CITED:
Harrison, Neil E. (2001, June). All consuming desire: advertisers prey on our
sexual insecurities to mass-market products and services. Canadian Business
and Current Affairs, p 24. Retrieved March 28, 2003 from Lexis-Nexis database
(Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe) on the World Wide Web: http://www.lexisnexis.com/universe/
Rodman, George. (2001). Making Sense of Media: An Introduction to Mass
Communication. Needham Heights, Massachusetts: Allyn &Bacon.
Playing the Game (2002, July 25). Marketing Week, pg 25. Retrieved March 28,
2003 from Lexis-Nexis database (Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe) on the World
Wide Web: http://www.lexis-nexis.com/universe/