Benefit’s thrrrob face powder ad

This recent ad for Benefit’s thrrrob face powder caught my attention as I was looking for an example of sex in advertising and flipping through a recent Cosmo.

The ad qualifies as a fairly conventional example of sex in advertising: It contains implied nudity and voyeurism. But more interestingly, the ad contains a thinly veiled sexual referent.

My heart is thrrrobing
For starters, the name of this face powder is “thrrrob.” The word throb itself is sexual because it relates to desire, arousal, and sex. Perhaps the product’s name can also be related to the notion of a heart throb, or of a heart beat, which beats quicker when a lover is present. Or maybe the man in the ad is the woman’s heartthrob in the sense that she desires him. Either way, the word throb is clearly a sexual referent that can be read on many different levels.

The product name also features three “r’s” and the “r’s” are italicized. Therefore, it seems that the triple “r’s” are meant to be noticed, and are perhaps supposed to resemble a lustful sound such as growl or a purr. The text of the ad also informs the viewer that thrrrob is a powder that is “turned on.” Once again, the use of the words “turned on” illustrates the power of this cosmetic to stimulate arousal and desire.

Perhaps the most interesting use of the text is featured in the thought bubble that is coming out of the female’s head. The female is allowing the viewer access to her inner thoughts which are, “Think he’s makin’ my heart thrrrob? Guess again!”

The female's inner thought informs the viewer that it is this face powder that makes her heart “thrrrob.” Or in other words, this face powder is what stimulates her desire instead of the man featured in the ad. Based on the implications of this text, she is informing the viewer that the man featured in this ad is not what satisfies her, it is instead the cosmetic that provides the pleasure.

Sexy names for cosmetics
Thrrrob is not the only cosmetic to feature a name that can be related to sex, desire, and arousal. According to a classmate, Smashbox cosmetics and NARS also make products with sexualized names. Smashbox is the creator of “O-GLOW,” which similar to thrrrob, is used on the face. NARS, on the other hand, is the creator of a line of lip gloss whose colors feature names such as “Orgasm,” Supervixen,” and “Triple X” among others. Therefore, it appears that cosmetic companies are quite deliberately forging a connection between their products and sexuality, by linking the cosmetics’ abilities to provide beauty with both sexual attractiveness and desire.

----Posted by Brandi Kilgore

Sexiest ads of the Oscars

Red carpet. Gorgeous celebrities. Skimpy gowns. The Academy Awards presentation showcases the glitz and glamour of our entertainment industry. As the second leading TV event of the year, it’s intriguing to see which advertisers—if any at all—use sexual appeals to speak to the 40 million or so (mostly females) who tune in to the event.

Not to be disappointed, sexual content was present among the three big “C” advertisers (cars, cosmetics, and clothing). Unlike the Super Bowl, however, there were no babes in bikinis or disrobing Danica Patrick in the lineup. Sexual content was subtle and obtuse. When targeting women, sexual appeals are more apt to emphasize benefits such as enhancing one’s attractiveness or self esteem. The top four ads containing sexual content were no exception.

4. L’Oreal. Just about any L’Oreal commercial aired last night qualifies. Again, while not overtly sexual, physical attractiveness can be an important component of sexual content. These spots featured sex symbols such as Heather Locklear, Eva Longoria, and Andie MacDowell extolling the benefits of looking beautiful (with a little help from L’Oreal).

3. JC Penney’s “American Living” brand. At least five spots served to introduce Penney’s new Ralph Lauren line. These slice-of-life ads, meant to reflect “Americana,” included some embraces and deep stares, and a young interracial couple. On the creepy side, one spot set in the forest featured a few kids on a bed.

2. Cadillac CTS. We’ve referred to this spot in a previous post. The ad—airing for a few months—features "Grey’s Anatomy’s" Kate Walsh purring: “When you turn your car on, does it return the favor?” As noted, it received a favorable rating from Ad Age’s Ad Review and Bob Garfield; one of the few examples of sex in advertising he’s liked.

1. "Dancing with the Stars” promos. The network promos speak for themselves; as they promise a “steamier” and “sexier” season than before. Not to disappoint, one of the two promos aired a few seconds of provocative dance moves. A clear example of “truth-in-advertising.”

Although we’re stretching it a bit, honorable mentions go to attractive models demonstrating the utility of Crest White Strips and a few dance moves in a JELLO swirls spot.