The effectiveness of sensual advertisement

It is out of question: sex is a powerful tool to call up people’s attention! Whether a perfume advertisement with a sexy model, or a provocative underwear campaign, we cannot resist to take a look at a sensual picture.

If you are introducing a new product, sensual advertisement might be an easy way to do exactly that, to generate AWARENESS.

However, if the nature of your product is not directly related with the form used in your campaign (in this case the use of sensuality), then your message will most probably not have a very longlasting effect.

Take a look at the below example from Nokia. Sure, such a picture will make me take a look at it, but after a couple of minutes I will not be able to recall the brand.

Why is that? Because the advertisement is too generic. Sex is being used only to call the attention, you could have put any object in a bigger size and the message of the advertisement -Nokia telephones include a camera with zoom- would have been equally understood.

Also, it is very difficult to be truly different with sensuality. We are exposed to so much sensuality that images really need to transgrade the ordinary to cut through.

So what does sensuality need to be effective? In my opinion it needs either to have a clear link between the nature of the product and the form, or to go beyond sensuality to a second degree of understanding.

For example, in the famous Wonderbra campaign you can see the clear link, between product and form. Here Wonderbra is selling exactly what they are showing.

An advertisement that went beyond sensuality, is the Benetton campaign done in 1992, the kissing-nun. Benetton not only pictured 2 people kissing, but challenged the principle of religious celibacy, the picture encourages viewers to refuse traditional constraints and thereby directly attacks the basic values of Catholicism. The brand is still remembered today for that.

 Posted by Ignacio Molins