Human Sexuality
Essay Preview: Human Sexuality
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From the readings, Bryner (2006) shows us that sex may sell products but only for men in some cases. When it comes to women, an endorsement by someone they see as wholesome may be more important than having a sexy and sensual model promote a product. On the other hand, the extensive report give by Nudd (2005) shows us that sexual ads do cause men to stop and look at the ad even though they may not be interested in knowing about the product or reviewing the textual information given alongside. At the same time, we are told that certain products may find it difficult to use sexual imagery such as credit cards while for many others, such imagery is thrown in as a matter of coruse e.g. cigarettes and alcohol.
In essence, it seems that sexual ads may be off-putting for many women while men may just view the sexy model shown to them and then flick through the pages to something more interesting. If they choose to stop and actually read the ad rather than stare at breasts and the exposure which is fed to them then only can the ad be said to be effective. It seems that Bryner (2006) is quite right when she connects the largely male group of executives to the sexually charged ads which are present in womens magazines even though they do not make any real connection with their readers.
2. How do you think different age groups, adolescent, young adult, middle-aged adult, older adult, are most likely to feel about the ads when they see them? What is the likelihood that each age group will be influenced to buy the products advertised by sexualized images?
The bifurcation between men and women is explained in great detail by Nudd (2005) as well as their reactions to sexually charged and sexually neutral ads. However, the differentiation in terms of age may be different as I believe that older adults or senior citizens may be put off by sexually charged ads unless they are wholesome. For example, I remember seeing Pfizer ads for Viagra marketed to the older segment of the population and unlike the rather risqué treatment given to the drug by the popular media, these ads are more about love and making connections. I feel that this is perhaps the right way to target the demographic Pfizer is seeking out.
On the other hand, given that young adults and adolescents are perhaps more sexually charged, I believe that within that group, especially the male population would respond more positively to a sexually charged advertisement. While they may not actually read the text at first glance, if they linger over the picture they may be able to see the text and get the message the marketer wishes to give them. For middle aged adults, I believe the reactions would be similar to the ones described by Nudd (2005) in terms of their responses to sexually charged ads and sexually neutral ads.
Works Cited
Bryner, J. (2006). Does sex really sell? Perhaps not to women. LiveScience [online] Available at:
Nudd, T. (2005). Does Sex Really Sell? AdWeek. October pg. 14-16.