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Introduction
This timeline shows the progression of how sex appeal was used in advertising from approximately 1871 to 2020. In the 19th and 20th centuries, sex appeal used white, thin, homogeneous models posing in suggestive and sensual ways. The 21st century has seen a push towards a more inclusive space for all bodies and people. The body positive movement is moving society in the right direction, but a lot of advertising still remains homogenized and heteronormative. -
Pearl Tobacco
Pearl Tobacco was the first known company to use sex appeal as a method for advertising. In this image, a naked woman rises from a body of water with a cloth draped only on her lower body. Although she has no relevance to tobacco, her sensual and provocative pose is used to draw in consumers. She is positioned in the center of the image, which immediately brings attention to her elegant and feminine pose. -
Woodbury Facial Soap
In the 1911, JWT’s campaign for Woodbury’s Facial Soap took advantage of the emerging use of sex appeal in advertising. The use of suggestive imagery and the slogan, “a skin you love to touch,” was considered cutting edge at the time. This form of advertising was one of the first of its kind to use the strategy: sex sells. -
Marilyn Monroe's "Tru-Glo Liquid Makeup" Campaign
Marilyn Monroe redefined sex appeal in the 1950s. In 1952, Monroe participated in the “Tru- Glo Liquid Makeup” campaign, dawning little clothing in the imagery. Because of her intentional sensuality, the use of Marilyn’s image grew rapidly. Monroe helped to trailblaze female sexuality by combating social norms that decided how modest women were expected to be. Commercializing Marilyn Monroe continues to be an extremely lucrative advertising strategy in present day. -
Jovan Incorporation
Jovan, Inc., a small fragrance marketer, took a more flagrantly sexual route with their cologne campaign. When introducing this line of musk-oil-based colognes and perfumes the headlines proclaimed, “Sex Appeal. Now you don’t have to be born with it.” This kind of advertising influenced the consumer to believe that a material item increases one’s attractiveness. Ads like the Jovan, Inc campaign promoted the socially developed goal of improving one’s sex appeal through consumption. -
Calvin Klein's Campaign: "Sex Sells"
In the 1990s, Calvin Klein exploded onto the consumer market with the campaign: sex sells. Through sensual posing and revealing imagery, this campaign sparked attention as well as controversy. Calvin Klein himself explained that this strategy of normalizing sexuality in the media was an effort to “[reflect] what’s really going on” in the world. Soon thereafter, the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage, demonstrating that Klein’s approach mirrored the growing movement of inclusivity. -
Victoria Secret Fashion Show
In the early 2000s, Victoria’s Secret took sex appeal in advertising by storm. For over 20 years, the relatively cheap lingerie company capitalized on the marketing of semi-naked “Victoria’s Secret Angels” to yield large scale, global coverage and attention. With the addition of the fashion show, Victoria Secret grew to be a multi-billion dollar business grossing 7.6 billion dollars in 2016. -
Summersalt
The bathing suit company, Summersalt, launched the “every body is a beach body” campaign in 2019. The campaign highlighted a diverse group of models ranging from different ages, ethnicities, and sizes. Summersalt aims for their consumers to feel body positive, regardless of what they look like. The body positivity movement is an extension of present-day sex appeal as it demonstrates female empowerment. -
Conclusion
In present-day advertising, sex appeal has morphed into sexual empowerment. Through strategic inclusion and promotion, this movement is attempting to amplify the female body and voice. Sex positivity champions individual experiences and desires, freedom from shame, and the ability to make choices. Although these are important advancements, this movement must center marginalized women (women of color, low-income women, disabled women, etc.) in order to make real change. -