Sex Appeal: A Classic Marketing Scheme

Guess what? You've got a libido. And as it turns out I'm not the only one who knows it. Advertising agencies have taken advantage of this fact for years. Take some very attractive people, put them next to a product, and BAM! You've got a great commercial. Many of you may know this tactic and think yourself immune to such a primitive marketing strategy. But thats the power of it. It is so primitive. And as such it speaks to the primitive side of us. You might be slightly offended by such vulgar and unrefined methods to sell you a product. But your id, the baser part of the mind interested only in instant gratification, slobbers over such commercials. You see these gorgeous models and you subconsciously associate the product with them, no matter how unrelated they might be. Your subconscious thinks that by buying the product, you will either become more like the beautiful people or be able to attract them. These strategies work well, and as a result companies continue to exploit them (and us).

Carl's Junior's Paris Hilton Commercial

Pine Sol Commercial

Take these two videos as examples. If you've got a pulse, chances are its beating a little more quickly after watching one of these commercials. I know what you're thinking. These are some of the most absurd commercials I have ever seen in my life. And you're right. Paris Hilton probably never eats Carl's Jr hamburgers (or much else for that matter). And shirtless muscular men are probably one of the last things you would associate with Pine Sol. Until now. If the commercial is sexy enough and memorable enough, then that image will permanently be associated with that product. After airing this ad in 2005, Carl's Jr saw a 2% sales increase. Modest you might say, and you would be right. But the branding power and publicity the commercial gave Carl's Jr was much more astounding. After its release, the commercial incited a backlash for its...not so subtle (and not so subliminal) messages. But this may not have been a bad thing. After all, there's no such thing as bad publicity. And for Carl's Jr, a relatively small West Coast fast food chain competing with the giants McDonald's and Burger King, this fact could not be more true. Now when hungry guys think of Carl's Jr, they think of the Paris Hilton commercial. And thats a powerful connection for a company to make in its target audience. And thats why these commercials continue to appear.

As far as the Pine Sol commercial goes, its just as ridiculous. But apparently it has a little more strategy and reason behind it than its Carl's Jr counterpart. According to Mr. Mercier, a brand manager for Pine Sol, the commercial tries to borrow themes that have worked for another scent industry: “What we were trying to do is play on the fantasy of perfume ads,” which also have strong romance elements". It is too early to tell whether or not this commercial will work for Pine Sol, but they are confident enough that the company spent $10.8 million on advertising during the first half of 2009. And if precedent is any indicator (which it usually is) it might not be a bad strategy to spend money on a sexual appealing commercial.

We are all human. We cannot escape that fact. Sexual advertising has affected all of us at some point during our lives (whether or not we admit it is another thing). I personally am not afraid to admit it. After watching the Carl's Jr ad, I felt a slight urge to buy a hamburger (and I don't even eat beef). And while I can tell you with complete confidence that this commercial will not make me go out and eat beef, I can tell you that I will remember this commercial for a long time. If not just for its strong sexual overtones, but for its sheer absurdity. But for whatever reason it is secure in my memory, and with that the advertisement has accomplished its goal. It has ensured that I will not forget the product or at the very least the brand and that is the ultimate goal of any advertisement. These are just a few examples out of millions, and I can guarantee there are more to come. And there are strong reasons to bank on that. After all, sex sells.