The Sex In Advertising Media Essay

The ride In Advertising Media EssayToday we live in a world that ro use sells mostly everything. People from all over the world ar ceaselessly bombarded with an increasing amount of inner publicizing messages whether it is seen on television, magazines, billboards, or even heard on the radio. Advertisers enforce familiar clips and photos in their ads or commercials to make a long lasting impression on the consumers.Sex in adThe amount of partially and fully nude models has severely depart magnitude over the historic period and is more popular now than ever. Advertisers use perk up as a tool to draw redundant attention to a specific harvest and are known to be one of the most ingratiatory tools utilize by both marketers and advertisers.Advertise ments often touch the b parliamentary procedureline of the forbidden, with the emphasis of attracting attention (Heckler et. al, 2001). The de devolve ons are systematically existence pushed to see how far advertisers go off go. From the beginning of the 20th century accenting on a womens calf below her skirt would be enough to pass the limit for what was tolerated, and now the advertizings being used today would easily be considered as pornography.ProblemPictures, sounds, and stories, are a form of familiar reading that has developn to go stirred up a variety of emotional fight backions within viewers (Heckler et. al, 2001). cozy accumulations can generally be defined as messages it can be shown finished stigmatise nurture in publicizing contexts or as persuasive bring ups in social marketing contexts, which has a connectedness with knowledgeable information. In advertising, thither are contrastive types of informal information (Lambiase Reichert, 2003). Lambiase and Reichert identified five several(predicate) types of sexual depicted object in advertising, which are bleakness, sexual manner, personal cunningness, and sexual referents.The usage of sex conjure up in adThro ughout the past twenty years, the exposure of sex speak to in advertising has become more or less common (Henthorne LaTour, 1994). The reality of sexual appeals in advertising is general in throughout legion(predicate) parts of the world and it is often theory of as fulfilling stimulating and arousing fantasies (Gould, 1994). Stephen J. Gould, advertise states that the ethics and morality of sex appeals continues to be contested, any(prenominal)(prenominal) as sexual norms and traditions in general assume been challenged throughout history. A review of remaining explore indicates complex connections between the usage of nudity in an advert and numerous lengths of advertising efficiency (ibid). The inquiry on the use of nudity in an ad has found that although nudity may increase and bring forth attention it may in addition simplification the attention toward the brand name (Belch, Severn, 1990).Refering to a study by Richins (1991) it was stated that about half the clock time or even more frequently, more than 50 per cent of respondents said that when they see clothing ads and decorative advertisements, they study themselves to the models in the advertisements. After viewing beautiful models or highly engaging individuals, for example in television advertisements or even on the cover of a Victoria Secret catalog, viewers hunt to rate the good-naturedness of more ordinary expression concourse lower than they would otherwise (ibid). knowledgeable appeal directed to youthSex and sexism in advertising justify further banter, as marketers target spring chicken audiences with sexual appeals and marketers use sexual imagery to sell products to teenagers and youngish adults (Reichert, 2003). The effect of sexual discipline in advertising may be heightened for young adults, for whom sexual expression and experiences are still relatively youthful and therefore sexual core is often targeted to young adults (ibid). The author states that adv ertising creators are producing sexual appeals for products targeted to young adults, and media planners are placing these advertisements in media consumed by younger audiences. Much of todays sexual advertising targets youth, yet there is smallish information in existing research to show how the youth react to such advertisement.Literary analyzeArousal and chemical reaction in the context of sexual advertisement stimuliLambiase and Reichert (2003) cl mark that men and women perceive sexual appeals in advertisement differently. When showing the men and women a print advertisement of explicit female nudity women reacted tenser hence men did. When men viewed the print advertisement, they reacted with energy arousal instead of tension arousal (ibid).In a study that was conducted, one radical of participants was exposed to an advertisement with nude tingling appeal magical spell a second conclave was shown an advertisement with semi erotic appeal (Lambiase Reichert, 2003). The p articipants in the two assemblages were shown an advertisement similar to each other, showing a women modeling on a beach, plainly the advertisement with the seminude model was masked by a perfume bottle. Both of the groups military capabilitys towards the brand were then evaluated. The outcome of the look into showed that the advertisements with nude erotic appeal were negatively influencing consumers attitudes to the brand. The group that was shown the semi-nude advertisement displayed a positive association toward the brand (ibid). The author withal concludes that these results indeed undermine the idea that sex sells this is especially true when it comes to female respondents. informal appeals perceived by men and women in advertisingTreise and Weigold (1994) argue that although it is often believed that sex sells, it sells at the moment of controversy. This statement was strengthenered by the author, who conducted this study. The experiment responses showed that a larg e amount of consumers are bothered by the use of sex in advertisements. About half of the participants in the study felt that there is zip fastener wrong with using sexual advertisements to sell products if it is perceived as tasteful. Although participants believed that there was too much sex in advertising. More than half of the respondents in Treise and Weigolds (1994) study felt that nudity in advertising is not appropriate for general interest in magazines almost as high figure of the respondents thought that sexual advertisements play a role in a teenagers decision to become sexually active.Men and womens response to nudity in advertisingSmith et. al, (1995) suck in studied how partially nude models in advertising influence consumers. Authors refer back to prior studies, where they found a common finding that sexual foreplay in advertising draw attention a personal manner from brand information. Also people who viewed the advertisement ordain notice the difficulty in immo rtalizeing the brand due to the advertisements sexual content. However, the authors repeatedly state that nudity or sexual content in an advertisement increases the consumers arousal. Increased arousal takes some responsibility for consumers increased recognition of sexual content in advertisements. As stated by Smith et. al, (1995) Advertisements with sexual content or nudity increases recognition meanwhile, it decreases the brand recognition. The authors also states that men were more receptive to advertisements containing female nudity, precisely women were more favorable to advertisements with a nude male.Smith et. al, (1995) state that previous research has identified of import variables that support whether nudity is considered to be effective and or ineffective in advertisements. The research showed that nudity should be avoided in situations where it can give off a negative thought our livelinessing, kindred an inappropriate product however, the authors claim that nudity works better for products such as, alcohol and fragrances, the main reason for this is that sex appeal promote products better than others. Although majority of consumers result be aroused by advertisements containing sexual stimuli, it is important to remember that not all arousal is beneficial to the advertiser (ibid).Data CollectionWhen collecting data for the research it can be either collected for the first time which is called primary and/or information that already exists which is secondary data. According to Yin (2003) it is more convenient to use secondary data. Yin (2003) says there are six different ways evidence can be collected. These are through documents, records, interrogates, direct observation, participant-observation, and physiologic articircumstances. Each of these do not bedevil an advantage over the other (ibid).The method I used to collect data for this study is hearings, documentation, and observations. My secondary data exit be the documentation and observations will be my primary data. Interviews will be the major source for my primary data collection. my reason for choosing interviews as my major source is because of its strength. It allows me to promptly focus on the question of my thesis. Yin (2003) believes that an interview can have potential disadvantages and can be dyed because of the poor constructed questionnaires. There is also a risk for reflexivity. This is where the interviewed person will distinguish the interviewer what he or she wants to hear.A focus interview was used to conduct my thesis. The interview will be used to prove or disprove the theories of this study. This type of interview can be done in different ways. Interviews through the resound are less expensive and also are time efficient therefore telephone interviews are extremely useful when dealing with an interview that is far away yet, face to face private interviews can be time consuming and involve more complex questions. The individualised contact during an interview also allows the interviewer to obtain more feedback from the respondent. The type of focused interview I used for this thesis is a focus group my research was done through two focus group interview sessions.For my sample selection I chose students from Arroyo High inform in San Lorenzo, California. The choice of respondents was based on my own personal preference. I thought that targeting this specific group was interesting because I would get to research what the students of Arroyo High thought about sex in advertising. Because this group of people is in high school they are considered to be under developed and immature when it comes to sex. Also they are still at an age where advertising can easily influence them.InterviewsYoung menThe case study was conducted through two focus group interviews, one group including women and one group including men. In the first interview several students from Arroyo High School were selected. The male students partic ipating in the focus group interview were born in 1995- 1996. The individuals participating were told that the aim of this session was not to make them agree upon one solution, but to bring forth their individual sensings and attitudes. The focus group interview stoloned with me showing them five magazine advertisements (appendix 2 6). The reason for doing this was to stimulate their minds in order to improve the upcoming questions.At first, the males articulated that sex sells. The group agreed that a sexual advertisement had to contain a women that was really good looking in order to be considered an erotic advertisement. The physical appearance being above the average looking individual was very important to the group when decision making if the advertisement was sexual or not. virtuoso respondent said Sex is common nowadays, companies should think of parodying sex in advertisements.Is there too much sex in advertising and is there a limit where it becomes offensive?This ques tion caused a lot of debate. Overall the group stated that there was too much sex in advertising. Here are some remarks from the discussion Young children 10-14 years old as well as many of us high school students get the wrong idea.It is sanction if the people are semi-nude, but not completely naked.If the sexual advertisement doesnt have much to do with the product, then there is probably too much sex involved.Is okay to use sex in advertisements?The students all agreed as long as it is used properly otherwise, it is not okay.. One student claimed Sexual appeal in advertisements if it promoting fragrances or lotion, but not okay when it is used for yogurt. some other respondent stated, and got support for the statement from the group Sometimes the advertisers go too far.Do advertisements with erotic appeal change your attitude toward a brand?This question had a split answer. Some pointed out that they do not change their attitude towards the brand because the advertisement is sex ual however, two boys stated that sometimes they do. One respondent commented If the advertisement is too sexual, I most likely will not purchase that product.The other respondents answered if the advertisement is sexual and not relevant to the product, then my attitude usually changes towards that brand or product.You do not have the energy to care if the advertisement is sexual, you king change attitude but you do not have the energy to change buy behavior.Personally, sex in advertising is not enjoyable anymore.Do advertisements with irresistible models change your similitude trites for physical magnet?All but one rib claimed that their standards changed after looking at attractive models in an advertisement. Also after viewing advertisements the respondents admitted they had higher standards for how the daughters should look.Young womenThe second interview at Arroyo High embarrassd several female students born between the years 1995-1996. The focus group session was cond ucted in the same manner as the first one.Initially, the respondents discussed in general how they define sexual appeal in advertising. Some of the female respondents defined sexual appeal in the following way It has a sexual appeal if they move slowly in combination with soft lightning.It does not have to include nudity to have sexual appeal.Strong attraction in their eyes can tell you that it really looks like he or she wants sex.Majority of the female students did not mention physical attractiveness, but instead talked about the importance of the actor/ actresses movement.Is there too much sex in advertising and is there a limit where it becomes offensive?The female students all seemed to agree on the following The companies do not gain anything with sexual appeal in advertising since everybody has it.To me, advertisements based on sexual appeal do not stand out.The female students believed that an advertisement becomes offensive when the nudity has no connection to the product.I s okay to use sex in advertisements?The female students did not agree, they believed that sexual appeal could be used if it had a relevant purpose in the advertisement. One of the respondents mentioned, For example, a sexual advertisement is okay when it is promoting condoms.Do advertisements with erotic appeal change your attitude toward a brand?The opinions amongst the respondents were split. Some claimed that they did not think of the advertisement when buying a product. Other said that it changed their opinion about the product and instead chose a similar product. One student statedYou do not think about the advertisement when you buy a product. Another girl claimedIt might change attitude towards the brand and you might choose another brand if the advertisement you saw is bad and corny. This has happened to me before.You get a negative attitude if the advertisement is too sexual.Do advertisements with attractive models change your coincidence standards for physical attractiven ess?The female students all agreed that it does not change their perception of how your friends look, because of their nature. Although, they did agreed that it changed their outlook of people they do not know. One of the girls explained it like thisIf you meet a guy on the street it can happen that you compare him with good looking models in advertisements.One of the girls also claimedI often find myself comparing the men in advertisements with my boyfriend.Data AnalysisThe survey participants believed that being nude is very different than sex appeal. The students in both the girls and boys group agreed that all the models in the advertisements I showed them were very good looking and not the average girl next door, which played a great role in how the advertisements were perceived. According to Lambiase and Reichert (2003) there are different types of sexual information in advertising nudity, sexual behavior, psychical attractiveness and sexual referents. As previously stated, t he respondents agreed that the different types of advertisement are considered to be sexual. From my research I found that men believe physical attractiveness is a more important factor than women think. Men claimed that in order for an advertisement to be of sexual content the women in the ad had to be extremely good looking. This backs up Ramirez and Reichert theory that physical attractiveness was in two ways as important to men than it is to women.The male respondents did not feel bitterness towards attractive models in advertisements like women did. They explained that they realize people in advertising are perfect because they are retouched. Richins (1991) states that young adult females compare their level of attractiveness with models in advertisements, and women also tend to resent their beauty. This shows that Richins theories concerning young women feeling envy towards attractive models are not applicable to young men. Furthermore, beautiful models in advertisements are mantic to change the comparison standards for physical attractiveness (ibid). The majority of the respondents agreed to this and stated that they have higher demands on how a girl is supposed to look like due to the models in advertisements.Some of the respondents thought that the reason why many young females have bad self- self-assurance is because they are constantly fed with advertisements showing how they are supposed to look. However, some of the respondents claimed that advertisement had nothing to do with how they want to look. According to Richins (1991) young adult females feel envy and compare their beauty with models in advertisements targeted toward them. The respondents supported this theory.The respondents claimed, except for one who stated that she was not affected by models in advertisements, that the self-perception of physical attractiveness was lowered by advertisements including physical attractive models. Some of the respondents pointed out the fact that they subconsciously changed their perception after they have been exposed to eye-catching models. Richins (1991) states that exposure to advertising with idealized images of physical attractiveness lowers, at least temporarily young adult females satisfaction and self-perception of their own physical attractiveness. The discussion between the focus group confirmed this.The respondents mentioned if they were walking down the street it is extremely likely that they will have a higher comparison standard for physical attractiveness after looking at attractive models in advertisements. However, they quickly point out that it did not change their view of their friends since personality is important to them. According to Richins (1991) exposure to advertising with idealized images of physical attractiveness will raise young females comparison standards for physical attractiveness.ConclusionThe findings of my thesis imply that there are some similarities between the data self-possessed and th e research stated of how young men react to sexual appeal in advertising. However, there are also some differences.My findings suggest that young men believe there is too much sex in advertising, especially in cases where the product has no connection with sexual appeal whatsoever. Additionally, young men believe that advertisements can be discriminating both to men and women, since the models that are appearing in these advertisements are based on sexual appeal and are often well trained and good-looking.My research also suggest that nudity in advertisement is so common today that even though advertisements include unnecessary nudity young men do not change their acquire behavior, even if the attitude towards the brand may change. Previous research confirms the change in attitude, but the fact that buying behavior does not change has not been brought up in earlier research. The focus groups suggested different products where they believed it is okay to use sexual appeal in adverti sing. One example is in advertisements for fragrances. The focus group also mentioned a non-suitable sexual advertisement was ice cream.Additionally my findings suggest that young men do not feel any bitterness or jealously towards models in advertisements because they are aware that the models in advertisements are retouched to for a more tasteful appearance. However, the respondents in my focus group brought up the fact that they believe people in general change their self-perception of physical attractiveness due to attractive models in advertisements. They also claimed that the comparison standard for physical attractiveness increased after viewing an advertisement, with a stunning woman, that is based on sexual appeal.My research also suggests that female respondents believe there is too much sex in advertising. This is especially true when it comes to products that have no association with sexual appeal. Also, young women believe an advertisement can be discriminating. Results show that young women believe that women are often portrayed as sexual objects in advertisements.In addition, the research also suggests that some young women change their attitude towards a brand and in some cases buying behavior if the advertisement is bad and too sexual. According to my findings young women are affected by sexual appeal in advertisement. This is due to the fact that the models in the advertisement are extremely attractive. This affects the assurance of young women according to the participants of the focus group. According my research, the reason for this is because young women are constantly targeted with advertisements based on sexual appeal which includes attractive models.Other findings suggest that young womens comparison standard for physical attractiveness increased concerning casual meetings. However respondents from the focus group claimed that comparison standards for friends were not increased since they had a personality which according to the focus group member is much more important.Todays adolescences are used to the sexual content showed in advertisement. Therefore I think that the corporations should rethink before choosing sexual appeals as a topic in their campaigns. Since sexual appeals are so common today that people do not react to it anymore.If the advertisement contains sexual behavior that is not in accordance with the product, it is very likely that people might change their attitude towards that product. If corporations use sexual appeal the wrong way in advertisements, people, or in this case, the youth will be against them and maybe go as far as not purchasing the product. Corporations might consider using other tools than sex in advertising, since sex is that common today. Sometimes a product works better with other appeals, such as humor, fear or even guilt.ReferencesBelch, G.E. Severn, J. (1990). The effects of sexual and nonsexual advertising appeals and information level on cognitive processing and comm unication effectiveness. ledger of advertising, Vol. 19 Issue 1. ISSN 0091-3367Gould, S.J. (1994). Sexuality and ethics in advertising A research agenda and form _or_ system of government guideline perspective. Journal of advertising, Vol. 23 Issue 3. ISSN 0091-3367.Heckler, S.E., Jackson, S. Reichert, T. (2001). Sexual Appeals in advertising. Journal of advertising, Vol. 30 Issue 1. ISSN 0091-3367.Henthorne, T.L. LaTour, M.S. (1994). honorable judgments of sexual appeals in print advertising. Journal of advertising, Vol. 23 Issue 3. ISSN 0091-3367.Lambiase, J. Reichert, T. (2003). Sex in advertising. Mahwah, New jersey Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. ISBN 0-8058-4117-2.Reichert, T. (2003). The prevalence of sexual imagery in ads targeted to young adults. Journal of consumer Affairs, Vol. 37 Issue 2. ISSN 0022-0078.Richins, M.L. (1991). Social similarity and the idealized images in advertising. Journal of consumer research, Vol. 18. ISSN 0093-5301.Smith, S.M., Anton, M.R., Haug tvedt, C.P. Jadrich, J.M. (1995). Understanding responses to sex appeals in advertising An individual difference approach. Advances in consumer research, Vol. 22. ISSN 0098-9258.Treise, D. Weigwold, M.F. (1994). Ethics in advertising ideological correlates of consumer perceptions. Journal of advertising, Vol. 23 Issue 3. ISSN 0091-3367.Yin, R.K. (2003). Case study research Design and methods. (3rd ed.). Thousand oaks,California Sage Publications Inc. ISBN 0-7619-2553-8.Appendices 1-6 attachment 1 Interview questionsI will start by showing the group the pictures of the advertisements and then the participants will discuss what they see and feel about the material. When the group is done expressing their reactions I will continue by asking them the following questions query 1 Is there too much sex in advertising and is there a limit where it becomes offensive?Question 2 Is okay to use sexual appeal in advertisement?Question 3 Do advertisements with erotic appeal change your attitud e toward a brand?Question 4 Do advertisements with attractive models change your comparison standards for physical attractiveness?After the questions I asked if the group wanted to add anything else.Appendix 2http//i643.photobucket.com/albums/uu151/brosjdm/erotic.jpgAppendix 3Appendix 4http//i368.photobucket.com/albums/oo126/theybf/Feb%2009/0905a17e.jpgAppendix 5http//fc01.deviantart.net/fs20/i/2008/304/1/a/Erotic_hug_by_fdesign74.jpg