Women In Advertisements

Since the 1870's woman have been used in advertising to appeal to men. The first advertisement with a woman was in 1871 for the Pearl Tobacco brand. This advertisement showed a half naked woman, with no tobacco to be found. This advertisement was used strictly to appeal to men, advertisements haven't changed much since then. Still today many advertisements show beautiful woman in order to appeal to men, the only difference is that they have to product in the ad as well. The motto that sex sells still holds true today as much as it did in the 1870's. 

The reason that sex sells is because it grabs your attention. When flipping through a magazine you might see an advertisement with a barely dressed woman and chances are you will probably look twice at it. This is a major thing that companies try to do when they come out with a new advertisement, they want the consumer to look twice at their ad and then remember it. So, with advertisements featuring barely there woman they have accomplished their goal. I know when I think back about recent ads that I have seen I think of the ones with beautiful woman who are not wearing much, for example an advertisement for PETA featuring Khloe Kardashian with nothing on. This advertisement like many other ones stick out to consumers and make them look twice. 

Another common theory of why sexual advertisements work is through the "Buy this, get this" formula. "If you buy our product: (1) You’ll be more sexually attractive, (2) have more or better sex, or (3) just feel sexier for your own sake" (Reichert). When you think about the products you last bought you wouldn't think that it was because you thought that if you bought the product that it would make you more sexually attractive, but in fact it probably did. For example you are watching television and you see a commercial for shampoo and conditioner with a very attractive female with beautiful silky hair you will probably not think twice, but when at the grocery store buying shampoo and conditioner you will probably tend to think that conditioner that you saw on the commercial is better and you should get that one. The key to good advertising is having an ad that makes people think about their product when they want to buy it, so if you don't really pay attention to the ad at the time you see it but remember it when you are going to buy that type of product then the advertisement has served their purpose. 

Some people try to say that sex doesn't sell, and that advertising should change. But, if that were true then why for more than 100 years has it sold so many products. Advertising like many other industries tend to stick to the motto "If it works, Don't fix it". Some people might be offended from these types of advertisements, but they are still selling many products. Many women wish to look like and be the women in these commercials but facts show that to most women it is unobtainable, but if they have in their heads that these products will help make it more obtainable then they are going to buy these products, and that is why these advertisements have been around for so long. Advertising is about making people buy the products that they are advertising, and sometimes if it means making people have a false hope in being the person that is advertising the product than they will do it. Do whatever it takes to get people to buy products, that was advertising 140 years ago, and that is advertising today.