Logic tells me sex does sell, or why else would advertisers use it? Focus groups can’t be wrong, can they? I believe viewers of advertising, at their core, want to be entertained, to be made to laugh. I think marketers know this so they make humorous advertisements. They also must know that men love sex… and love looking at attractive women (when was the last time you saw unattractive or overweight people in a commercial?) Advertisers are selling the ideal, the fantasy, not reality!
That brings me to beer. A lot of people purchase it and companies spend hundreds of millions of dollars to get people to buy more of it. So, does sex help them sell more beer? Specifically, do sexy women in the ads help them sell more beer? I recently saw this commercial on YouTube. What stuck out most to me was how tastefully done it was… see for yourself:
Corona Ad – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQoRmy9G864
The Corona campaign does not have half naked models running around in it. Granted the people are far from unattractive, but they aren’t selling sex. I think Corona did a great job of selling relationships, time together, travel and relaxing, all while sipping on a beer. Hats off to them!
But then I saw this ad:
What Brand Ad? – https://youtu.be/uhQehbmgNmc
Yeah, that took a long time to get to the end. What was the beer brand? Exactly, you don’t remember, neither did I. So does it really help them sell more beer? I would have to say no. Probably a lot of 15 year old boys watching that video though, wanting their parents to take them to the beach next summer.
And lastly, I bring you this NSFW spot from Guinness, that shows you they must know exactly who drinks their beer. Watch only if you are not offended easily, and watch through to the end.
Guinness Ad – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25NQqK4E5vk
Wow. That was brave. I wonder if the marketing executive still has his job after that one. Did you read the comments under the video… some people were really offended. What does that do to their brand… do they even care?
So the question lingers… does sex sell? My conclusion, I don’t know, but I will keep researching to find out.
