Post's Shredded Wheat is sexually satisfying (?)

A fairly common assumption is that sex is used to sell sex-related products, right? Like perfume, clothing, or even jewelry.

But cereal?

My eyes did a double flip at the new campaign for Post’s Shredded Wheat. I have to admit, sex is not the first thing that comes to mind with thinking about healthy, fibrous cereal.

Satisfy those urges
Post is obviously seeking to empower women by saying “you don’t need men to satisfy your urges,” whatever those urges may be. The ads use sex appeal in reverse by saying that women don’t need sex to feel satisfied, they can get satisfied with a bowl of wheat. The ads portray that idea by depicting a woman, dressed in lingerie-inspired red satin ensembles, posed in a demure position with a bowl of Post Shredded Wheat. She looks directly into the camera, making a definite connection with the viewer. The woman and the cereal are the primary focus of the ad.

In the background, almost blending in to the scenery is a passive man either sleeping or paying the woman little attention. The copy reads “What satisfies a hungry woman?” Using sex appeal with a cereal is not the obvious route, but as Post demonstrates here, it undoubtedly makes for an attention grabbing ad.

The tagline does a great job of focusing on the product benefits in a creative and attention grabbing way proving that sex in advertising has now reached new territory; the cereal aisle.

--Posted by Erica Goss

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

Cartier borrows from subliminal playbook, chastity belt

A recent ad for Cartier’s new Leve bracelet has a sexual feel, but not from the types of sexual content typically found in magazine advertising; as the ad contains no physically attractive models, no nudity, and no sexual behavior. At a higher level of processing, however, one could argue that the ad is fraught with sexual referents (allusions to objects with sexual meaning) and embeds (content interpreted as sexual at the subconscious level).

Sex and Death Embeds
Looking at the ad though the lens of Wilson Key (the guy who sees sex in ice cubes, and clouds, and…), it becomes obvious that the bracelet and key could be interpreted as symbolism for genitalia. While size is obviously distorted, there is an argument for power dynamics if the ad is geared toward women, as the key is much smaller than the bracelet it locks.

Notice the flames/steam coming off of the bracelet which could allude to the heat of passion this product evokes. Also note the red smoke in the background. One can argue that there is a skull-like face in the smoke (aka, death embed).

A Modern-Day Chastity Belt
At another level, there is the implied issue of bondage, or at least of “locking your woman up” to keep her away from other potential mates. Consider the tagline, “How far would you go for love?” The line could imply bondage or invoke ideas of chastity belts. The inspiration for Leve was a Cartier bracelet that “screwed around the wrist of the beloved with a screwdriver… possessing or letting yourself be possessed.”

In this ad, most viewers probably just see a bracelet and a key. Upon further analysis, however, some might say this ad is a very good example of sexual referents and embeds.

--Posted by Justin Pettigrew

Sexy jet-setters fly Korean Air

“Only sexy supermodels fly with us.” That’s the impression one gets from a recent Korean Airlines commercial designed especially for audiences in the U.S.

Incorporating “high brow” images ranging from partially nude women to sexual innuendo, the Korean Air spot looks more like a high profile, risqué perfume ad rather than an airline commercial. Instead of scenes showing off its fleet or multitude of destinations, which is typical in this category, Korean Air opts to brand themselves with a variety of glamorized sex-in-advertising tropes such as nudity, sexual behavior, and physical attractiveness. There is even a nod to shoe fetish.

Maybe the approach is a smart one. If you have a choice when flying to Asia, why not fly with a sexy, high-brow airline? Apparently that’s what Korean marketers assume is motivating to its potential U.S. customers. Based on America’s obsession with sex, it’s not an assumption too far from the mark.

--Posted by Rachel Jackson

Sexy Brooke Shields ad appears in family magazine

My assignment was to locate an example of sex in advertising. I found one in a very unlikely place.

In the May 2008 edition of Family Fun magazine there appears an ad in the “got milk” campaign featuring Brooke Shields. (I chose this magazine assuming that the sexual content would be presumably light, if present at all.) Shields appears in a black leotard positioned in a flexible posture with her legs bent beneath her. She has the ubiquitous milk mustache and a very sophisticated gaze on her face, peering into the lens of the camera (and thus into the eyes of the reader).

Although the ad may at first glance appear innocuous it certainly could be argued that there is present a degree of sexuality.

In terms of dress Shields in wearing a form fitting black leotard that exposes her legs. However, the greater degree of sexuality is found in other aspects of the ad. There is a sense of sexual behavior present in the ad. The look that Shields is presenting to the reader could certainly create a parasocial dynamic. It is clearly intended to create a connection between the viewer and the model.

Brooke Shields' Sexual Persona
Perhaps the greatest sexual aspect of the ad revolves around Shields herself. She built her notoriety in the 1980s starring in sexually controversial films such as Blue Lagoon and Endless Love and her playfully provocative role in Calvin Klein commercials. (She also had a smaller role as a teenage prostitute in an earlier film.) Anyone who grew up during the 80s would recognize the sexuality character that is present in Brooke Shields. The target audience for this magazine (parents presumably in the 30s – 40s) certainly grew up in that decade and could not distance themselves from the sexual baggage that Shields brings to the ad.

Another aspect of ad that can be seen as sexually charged is the copy. The ad opens with the phrase “busy body.” Clearly, this phrase could be interpreted in a number of ways. However, the emphasis is apparently a connection between a healthy body and sexuality. Presumably, the target audience is at a point in their lives when they may be struggling with a perceived loss of their “sexiness” due to a perceived or real decline in their physical condition. Brooke Shields it would seem has not experienced this loss and thus there is a connection between her sexuality and her use of milk.

This ad could certainly be used to support the argument that if sexuality is present in a publication such as Family Fun sex is ubiquitous in advertising.

--Posted by Curt Wanner

Bud Gal and sexy POP displays

“Hi, I’m a larger-than-life, bikini-clad, point-of-purchase display.

“I’m just hanging out with three of my friends at the end of aisles in a convenience store somewhere in rural Oklahoma.

“We’re here to increase Bud sales. At least that’s what I was led to believe.”

Good question: Do sexy POP displays have any influence on sales?

My guess is “yes.” I find it difficult to believe that this truly one-dimensional Bud Gal—and others like her—have no affect on beer sales.

The Research
At first glance research fails to support this perception. A 1984 study published by Marjorie Caballero and Paul Solomon in Journal of Advertising tested the influence of physically attractive models on POP displays for both beer and tissues. They found that good looking models failed to encourage men to buy more beer: “males tended to buy beer from displays depicting male models rather than from those depicting female models” (p. 21). Equally as interesting, they found that “low attractiveness” (read: ugly) models sold more tissues.

Reading deeper into the article we discover that Caballero and Solomon were only testing facial attractiveness. Basically they included mug shots of high, medium, and low attractive models or no photo at all. In other words, the images tested in their study are a far cry from the POP image shown here.

How sexy POP displays work
My guess is that marketers and retailers are very aware of the influence of POP displays. First, it’s a way to bring attention to your product just as consumers are making a decision. If you are a brand-switcher, and really don’t perceive a difference between Miller and Budweiser, the momentary gratification of a sexual image might get a sponsor the nod.

Last, let’s not forget that sexual information evokes a small but perceptible positively emotional response in most people. Especially domestic beer drinkers, right? When in such a state, one is more likely to make the impulse purchase: “Okay, I’ll get a 12-pack instead of a six.”

I’d be curious to see the research showing Bud Gal’s influence on sales. I bet she sells more Bud (and perhaps more Kleenex) in convenience stores she inhabits.

Lacoste goes Playgirl... in Esquire?

I just discovered this Lacoste faux Playgirl pose in a 2003 issue of Esquire while working on a content analysis... and I'm still trying to figure it out.

These days good-looking male models are the norm in men's style magazines. And there is partial nudity; think Calvin Klein and Dolce & Gabanna. But this image has the feel of a 1970's Burt Reynolds layout in Playgirl magazine (see him here in a 1972 Cosmo layout).

The headline "Style on Skin" must be referring to the "high style" of Lacoste on one's skin. I'm not sure straight readers flipping through Esquire would be comfortable making eye contact with a nude male model enjoying a spot of tea. It may be likely that Gay Esquire readers would have a different opinion: It's commonly believed that men's mags like GQ and Esquire have a fairly high Gay readership.

It's no surprise to magazine readers that bare male physiques are on the rise. In a previously published content analysis, we found that 11% of men in a sample of magazine ads were dressed in a sexual manner. By 2003, that proprotion had increased to 21%. Nudity (Lacoste ad), while absent in 1983, represented about 3% in 2003.

Obviously in no rush, men are making the 30-year migration from '70s layouts in Playgirl and Cosmo to ad pages in men's magazines.