Sex, The Cornerstone of Advertising

Let’s face it, sex sells. It always has and it always will.

Flashback to the ‘60s: Remember this famous slogan, "Take it off... take it all off…."

This steamy Noxema TV commercial, where a man shaved his face to strip tease music, was one of the most effective and provocative ad campaigns of the Sixties.

Why? The answer is simple. The ad cleverly played upon our most basic, primitive instinct towards... ‘s-e-x’.

Advertisers have long recognized that ‘sex sells’. Neil E. Harrison, a writer for “Canadian Business and Current Affairs", states, “Advertisers recognize that ''sex sells'' because it attracts attention. Attention-getting techniques have always been the cornerstone of advertising; even if it makes a consumer look in disgust, the point is that the consumer looked, and if the imagery is pushing the envelope or shocking or borderline offensive, it becomes more memorable."

[But what constitutes ‘borderline offensive’?]

‘Borderline offensive’ seems to be the main objective in advertising today. Although using shocking and explicit material to draw attention is nothing new, each added campaign continuously gets more and more risqué.

Many within the industry consider designer Calvin Klein as the pioneer of ‘explicit sexual marketing’. In 1980 Klein featured a then 15 year old Brooke Shields purring ‘Nothing comes between me and my Calvin’s.’ Although this campaign shocked many, it skyrocketed Klein to be the most talked about designer of all time.

In 1995, Klein, who has repeatedly used young children in his provocative campaigns, was the target of a US Justice Department Investigation. The panel asked him if he had thought some of his ads were ‘borderline child pornography’. Unaffected, Klein replied, “These campaign ads are not pornographic. The ads were intended to convey the idea ‘that glamour is an inner quality’ that can be found in regular people in an ordinary setting; it is not something that is exclusive to movie stars and models" (Calvin Klein; A Case Study n.p.).

[Yeah, but isn’t this the same man who blatantly said, “Jeans are about sex?"]

So how does this ‘sexual marketing’ affect our kids?

In many ways.

Exposing children to provocative material too soon is detrimental to them because most youngsters are unable to process the information in its proper context. American culture is permeated with sex and we are forgetting that ‘children need to be children’. We are repeatedly chanting that ‘the children are our future’, but my question is what kind of children and what kind of future?

I am a mother of a soon to be nine-year-old girl and I can attest to the fact that sex is everywhere for children her age. I am my child’s ‘watchdog’ but, unfortunately, many ‘latch-key’ children do not have that luxury.

A company that primarily targets young children, Abercrombie and Fitch, angered many with the sensual production of their 2002 “Holiday Quarterly". The front cover displayed a naked male and female on a bed, with numerous nude pictures on the first 117 pages. “Abercrombie & Fitch is selling porn, plain and simple," said Don Wildmon, chairman of American Family Association. "This is a company that markets itself to young people, and their message is one of promoting immoral personal and social behavior (AFA Action, n.p.).

'Breaking the mold’ in 2002, this holiday catalog more closely resembled a porn magazine than a kid's clothing catalog. A spokesperson for Abercrombie and Fitch was quoted by saying: “These photos depict young, healthy, presumably red-blooded young Americans posing, frolicking, and generally living what could be considered the ‘good life.’ They do this in Abercrombie clothes, sometimes; other times they do this out of Abercrombie Clothes. It’s the ‘out of that’s drawing the ire out of Uncle Sam"(Collins, n.p.).

Most currently, Abercrombie and Fitch were bashed for their line of thong underwear targeted for young girls’ ages 7-14. The underwear carry the sayings of “eye candy," “wink-wink," and “kiss me." The underwear is meant to be light hearted and cute….

[‘Light hearted’ and ‘cute’ thongs for my seven year old that has ‘kiss me’ on the behind? I don’t think so… not in this lifetime!]

A television documentary titled “Buying into Sexy: The Sexing up of ‘Tweens", shows the dangerous mutation of teens and preteens interests over the new trends in young fashion. No longer interested in Barbie dolls, the trend is now towards padded bras and thong underwear. “You get more attention," says Amanda, a 12 year old girl. “And strange guys come up to you and try and get you to go to nightclubs." “A lot of guys stare," adds Natasha.

[I guess it is ‘cool’ for a pre-teen to wear hip-hugger jeans so low that you see… well, you know…]

In ‘The Big Ideas of 2006’ issue of the magazine, "Adbusters", a mother’s letter began with “…little girls turned into sexy little women -- freakish, disturbing and sad. I am reminded again why I home-school, why I threw out the TV, why I’d rather stay at home and love my daughter then make a lot of money and watch her childhood and self-esteem drift away on a sea of advertising".

As I write this, I hear my Laura’s laughter coming from the television room but I am safe; her favorite TV show is “I Love Lucy" and all the episodes are on dvd.

Sex may be the cornerstone of advertising for adults, but it is damaging our kids in more ways than one. If we really are so concerned about our kids, ‘our future’, maybe we ought to begin to protect them.

Don’t be silent; let your voice be heard. If you see a commercial that is offensive, write to the network, your local TV station and the maker of the product. Visit this site to find addresses for local TV stations.

(c) 2008 Judi Lynn Lake All Rights Reserved Worldwide

Judi Lynn Lake has kept up with leading edge business trends throughout her varied and successful career. She had already had her "15 minutes of fame" over and over again before starting her family. Judi and her family now reside in South Carolina, but, having been born and raised on Long Island, NY, it is clearly evident that she will always be a "New Yorker." Today, she successfully runs her own advertising agency which handles everything from logos, branding and package design while she continues to work closely with self-published authors from design to promotion. For more information, visit judilake.com

The Writing Desk and Freedom

“Mamma, you’re just like Thomas Jefferson!"

Confused, I ask, “Huh? What’ja talking about baby girl?"

“Well, you’re curious and are always jotting down your thoughts just like him ‘cept there’s one thing you don’t have that he did."

“And that is?"

“A writing desk!"

“Laura, what does that have to do with Thomas Jefferson?"

“Dontcha know, silly mommy?"

“No, I guess I don’t — why don’t you tell me?"

As my “big" little girl crawls on my lap, she begins to tell me a story:

“Okay, but you can’t interrupt like you always do."

Tightly hugging my girl, I “pinkie-promise" I won’t interrupt.

“Okay, we’re gonna travel back in time to the 1700s. Ready? Here goes: clippity-clop, clippity-clop, went the horses’ hooves as the wagon bounced over the stones in the rough road."

“Laura, what—“

Sternly, my daughter looks up at me and demands silence with her eyes. “Mommy, you promised! Shh-hh! Anyway, the man driving the wagon didn’t seem to mind the bumpy ride one bit because he was too busy scanning his surroundings. Even though Thomas Jefferson drove that route a million times before, he always learned something new. Because he was curious, he always wanted to learn and, no matter where he went, he carried a notebook to write down all answers to his unending questions.

“Then one day, as he was busy writing, he began to think that maybe it would be easier to carry a desk with him wherever he went—“

“Wouldn’t that be awkward, Lau?"

“Mommy, you pinkie-promised! Last time you interrupt! And no, silly, he wasn’t going to carry a great big desk — this is when he decided to invent the writing desk. Because he was an architect, he drew up plans and had a carpenter build it and it was really cool. “When the desk was closed it looked like a book but when opened, it could be tilted into a writing position and had a drawer to hold all his papers, pens and ink."

“That is cool, honey, I didn’t know that."

Exasperated, my daughter rolls her eyes and continues, “Well Mr. Jefferson was really proud of his desk and now could take notes anytime he wanted. Meanwhile, there was a lot happening in Philadelphia because the thirteen colonies we really mad with England. Even though the colonists were loyal Englishmen, the King of England was making stupid laws that the colonists thought were unfair."

“Like the Bailout thing yesterday?"

“Exactly! Anyway, the colonists decided to gather up some really smart men and discuss the problems with England. Two important meetings were held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that was called the Continental Congress.

“At this meeting, Thomas Jefferson and some other men felt that the American colonies should be independent from England and that America should have her own government. The men talked and talked for hours but Jefferson just listened and absorbed all the information. With a unanimous vote, all agreed that the colonies should not belong to England and be free states. They all concluded that a paper should be drawn declaring our freedom but were confused about who should write such an important document."

“You talking about the Declaration of Independence?"

“Yup! A few men were finally chosen but because of Thomas Jefferson’s superior writing skills the task was given to him. So Jefferson quietly went to the back room and, using his writing desk, wrote the Declaration of Independence. So you see why his writing desk was so important, Mommy? We might not have had Independence Day had it not been for his invention!"

“I didn’t know all this, Lau — thank you for this wonderful story! But there’s more, isn’t there?"

“Yes, but you finish, Mommy."

“Okay, baby girl. On July 4, 1776, all the men of the Second Continental Congress voted to accept Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence. This declaration is very important because it states America’s beliefs about government. This document tells the world that the people of the United States of America believe that God has given each person the right to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

“When the Declaration was read to the people of Philadelphia on July 8, 1776, everyone cheered for their independence. Cannons boomed and people paraded through the streets of Philadelphia with torches. As I read this excerpt, Laura, imagine with me that we are there, on that very day, amongst the cheerful crowd:

“The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America, We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."

And silently, as I read this excerpt with my daughter, I pray that we, as true Americans, remember what our forefathers fought for, what our country stands for, and, in solidarity and peace, unite once again as one Nation Under God for the sake of our land and for the sake of our children.

May God help our vulnerable America.

©2008 Judi Lynn Lake. All rights reserved worldwide.

Judi Lynn Lake has kept up with leading edge business trends throughout her varied and successful career. She had already had her ‘15 minutes of fame’ over and over again before starting her family. Judi and her family now reside in South Carolina but, having been born and raised on Long Island, NY, it is clearly evident that she will always be a "New Yorker." Today, she successfully runs her own advertising agency which handles everything from logos, branding and package design while she continues to work closely with self-published authors from design to promotion.