Sexual Explicitness A Frequent Marketing Ploy On... (Press, 13 May 1989)

A recent analysis of marketing strategies in the United States reveals a significant trend towards sexual explicitness in advertising on American television. The saying "sex sells" is increasingly clear, with advertisements for various products employing highly sexualised imagery and scenarios. For example, cologne commercials feature bisexual orgies, running shoes display naked female torsos, and jeans advertisements depict young women in provocative poses before men. This trend highlights the perceived contradiction between American society's conservative values and the explicitness of commercial messaging. The current advertising landscape is marked by a new brand of sexism and a fixation on nudity, which has led to depictions that objectify women and incorporate elements of sexual innuendo and sado-masochism. Even everyday products are marketed with a suggestiveness that once belonged to soft-core pornography. The cultural atmosphere, while socially conservative, seems to embrace this sexual overtone in advertising as a response to the hyper-competitive nature of the industry. Analysts observe that programming has become increasingly "bawdy," while commercials have adopted a tone that reflects objectification and aggressive seduction, mirroring the cut-throat business environment characterised by corporate buyouts and hostile takeovers. Media analyst Mark Crispin Miller indicated that this increasing reliance on shock value is a reaction to clutter within the advertising space, leading to a flood of messages that overwhelms viewers. In 1987, American retail sales reached approximately USD 1.5 trillion, contributing to a rise in the volume of advertisements. Reports indicated that viewers encountered 14 per cent more advertising messages per hour than in the previous year, leading to an average exposure of 650 television ads weekly. However, the effectiveness of these ads appears to be diminishing, with recall rates dropping significantly. This has caused panic among advertisers, resulting in more provocative and explicit ad content as a method to capture attention. The dual role of sex in advertising is evident, as it not only serves as a selling point but also gains recognition and accolades within the industry. This trend has led to provocative ads being lauded for their boundary-pushing creativity, with practitioners acknowledging that the commercial environment demands increasingly shocking content to remain relevant. Experts have differing opinions on the implications of this trend. Some suggest it reflects a heightened "body consciousness" in contemporary society, while others, such as activist Norma Ramos from Women Against Pornography, see it as indicative of a resurgence of male-dominant sexism influenced by the broader pornographic culture. Judith Langer, a market research consultant, posits that the aggressive nature of advertising may symbolise an era of increased restraint and monogamy as safe sex becomes the norm. Ultimately, watching provocative advertisements might represent "the safest sex of all," portraying a complex interplay between societal attitudes towards sexuality and marketing strategies.

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