Playboy's sexiest commercials of all time

In its February 2008 issue, Playboy ranked the 21 sexiest commercials of all time. Previously reported by Adrants, you can still view and vote online for the sexiest of the lot. The commercials they've chosen range from recent commercials starring Paris Hilton (Carl's Jr.), Britney Spears (fragrance), and Axe (bom-chicka-wah-wah) to early spots with Gunilla Knutson (Noxzema, 1967), Dodge (Charger, 1970), and Brooke Shields (Calvin Klein, 1980).

Other interesting calls include Suzanne Somers demonstrating the Thighmaster, Nicole Smith touting her Trimspa, and Calvin Klein's CK ads from 1995 featuring underage actors and models. To be expected, all commercials identified by Playboy feature sexualized images of women as the primary ingredient--which is certainly true for most sexy ads. To be fair, several commercials for Lee, Dockers, and Subaru turned the tables by featuring hunky guys.

Missing spots

Spots missed by Playboy include Farrah Fawcett lathering up Joe Nameth for Noxema, as well as the infamous Milwakee's Best ad introducing the Swedish Bikini Team--"It doesn't get any better than this." More important, Playboy missed the only example of sex in advertising to receive praise from Advertising Age's Bob Garfield and his Ad Review team. The spot features Grey's Anatomy's Kate Walsh pushing the pedal to the floor in her new Cadillac CTS (see below).

Farrah Fawcett = Sexy ad diva

Many young people are surprised that sex in advertising has been around the block once or twice. Reflecting the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 70s, advertising followed suit with commercials on network television that would make today’s audiences blush. Thanks to YouTube, some of advertising’s hidden gems are once again available for viewing.

Surfing YouTube, I was surprised to discover that Farrah Fawcett was a sex-in-advertising icon in the 1970s. Famous from her role in the 1977 hit television series “Charlie’s Angels,” Fawcett's debut role was not as an angel. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, she appeared in several commercials which are now vintage sex in advertising.

Examples of such spots include Noxema, Ultra Brite, and Mercury—all available for YouTube viewing. Two ads for Noxema are excellent examples of sexual double entendre and innuendo. In one spot, Fawcett sings the jingle, “Great balls of com… fort.” Another features Joe Nameth playfully lamenting, “I’m going to get creamed,” as Fawcett lathers his face with Noxema shaving cream. "You've got a great pair of hands."

Spots for Lincoln-Mercury and Ultra Brita utilize Fawcett’s physical attractiveness. Mercury takes it a step further, however, in its subtle comparison between Fawcett and a cougar.

Thanks to YouTube and other video sites, ads featuring Fawcett and other sex symbols can be viewed and remembered by all.

--Posted by Michelle Weidner