Download yourself to AX's lust land

Armani Exchange is leaving no male backside covered in its Summer 2009 campaign. More important, those who what to surround themselves with these images can download them to their computers and mobile devices as screensavers, icons, wallpaper and badges.

Imagine slightly more European models in Abercrombie catalogs and you have the AX campaign. Instead of just boys romping together, this time the protagonist is a woman and she’s doing her best to straddle, kiss, embrace, and get her way into two men’s pants.

AX is branding itself as sexy, playful and chic with a summer twist. It’s a land of tan chiseled men and sexually assertive women, all who wear Armani when convenient. For those who want to be part of this scene, who find these images compelling, they can download these lustful images into their lives and share them with friends. No more tearing pages from Cosmo and tacking them to the bulletin board. In this way digital technology allows advertisers to infuse their brand images beyond the pages of a magazine.

Text AX to ARMANI [276264] for image download/signup. Downloads are free. Text AX requires opt-in for up to 3 messsages p/mo. Standard rates/data charges may apply. Participating carriers only.

AX is simply branding its clothing: “This is how we think of our brand and how we want to be perceived.” Just good old sex-in-fashion-advertising. But these images also communicate messages about social and sexual norms and ideals. And with the power to surround oneself with these images, the stronger is their power to resonate with consumers.

Armani beefcake too much for male UGA student

At least one student at the University of Georgia was offended by a risqué Armani underwear insert appearing in the campus newspaper, The Red & Black. The insert, which shows an Adonis—tanned, chiseled and trim—in a pair of bikini briefs, prompted a male student to write a letter to the editor.

“Not only did this ad embarrass me,” he said, “but it made me…very self-conscious of my own appearance in my underwear.” Obviously, the student was aware of the social comparison effects that many people experience when viewing images of scantily clad models, the vast majority of which are women. He even commented that his experience was probably similar females who are exposed to “skinny, big-breasted models in their lingerie ads.”

Is this beefcake ad truly surprising? The ad uses common techniques such as nudity and physical attractiveness to grab the audience’s attention. This type of sex in advertising has been used for decades, and proven very successful for several marketers. In addition, this approach is not exclusive to female models, either. Calvin Klein, for example, made a big impact in the 1980s with underwear-clad male models. 2(x)ist has done the same.

So, what about this Armani ad prompted a letter to the editor? Are men becoming more sensitive to imagery in ads now that they are becoming the objects of the “gaze,” or do sexy ads cross the line when entering educational settings? Only time and research will tell; but until then, as this gentleman says, “University men….do not be ashamed, wear your skivvies with pride, regardless of how your lower belly hangs over your elastic waistband.”

--Posted by Michelle Weidner

ESPN and the sexy Acqua di Gio commercial

My wife and I were watching ESPN the other night when a very sexy 30-second commercial aired for Giorgio Armani’s Acqua di Gio. Filmed in partial septia-tones, the spot features a shirtless muscular male looking straight into the camera. Seawater and perspiration are dripping down his torso.

“Why is that ad running on ESPN?” my wife asked. “Good question,” I thought to myself. The spot is very uncharacteristic of anything you’ll see on ESPN. Any sex in advertising on this network is likely to feature playful Coors Light parties with bikini-babes making snowballs and hot-tubbing.

After a debate that bounced from speculation about the number of gay athletes who watch sports to comparisons to Cosmopolitan covers, I finally convinced her that the ad was “aspirational,” like the many sexy ads for perfume, fashion and fragrance featuring women in Cosmo and Glamour. My wife definitely found the ad appealing, the same way that many men adore the pictures in Victoria’s Secret catalogs. The message in the spot is along the lines of “if you want to look like this guy, feel like this guy, or elicit a reaction from your wife like this guy…get yourself some Gio.”

I didn’t find any Armani under the tree this year. Oh wait, the ad wasn't targeted to her, it was targeted to me.