It's been a while since I've written here, so before I get back into the serious stuff, let's have some fun. Let's rant a little and perhaps take a slightly exaggerated look at this topic.
Advertisements are meant to sell. And nothing sells like sex. In every single corner of the world, sex sells. From the assembly in Karnataka to the harddrives seized from Osama's Abottabad hideout. Sex sells, and the whole world is buying.
It isn't news that sex sells. What disturbs me, however, is the trend of selling sex. The number of ads out there that sell the idea, or possibility of copulation is ever on the rise. And no, I'm not talking about the obvious- no grooming products, no deos or hair gels or fairness creams. Hell, the entire personal care industry is about upping one's sex appeal, no secret there. But it's rather disconcerting, if not frustrating, to see this card played everywhere.
I'll take two minor occurrences in two ads as examples.
Take the Samsung Galaxy Y ad with the "Talking Tom" app. The ad features a man and a woman (quite attractive) being shouted at by their boss, when to their rescue comes the cool dude with this hilarious app. Fine, no problem so far. The boss is amused, and the cool dude drops the product's catch phrase, basically saying that the boss people of the world who think they are very cool but don't even have this phone are not as cool as they think they are. Inane, but acceptable. But here comes the kicker, and you can almost feel it coming. You cringe in anticipation... and there it is. The girl looks at the guy with a saucy look. She is impressed. She wants him. Maybe right now, in the supply closet. Why not, it is an awesome phone. The angle of the shot even gives it a suggestion of something on the sly, something they know is naughty.
Is this the whole point of the ad? "Buy our phone and you can get laid by the hot office lady." You will attract a woman's attention. They will want you. They will need you. Many a dollar has been made by targeting a man's genitals.
The other ad is the Sharman Joshi dancing penguin 7UP ad. It's a fine ad, with some animation proficiency. It has Sharman Joshi and a penguin involved in an intense dance-off, because 7UP makes Sharman "feel up." Who cares if they copied Happy Feet, it's fun to watch.
So what's my problem with it? There is a girl that enters near the END of the ad, and is there to only look at and be impressed by Sharman. I should be used to this, right? But here's the kicker: this time, our protagonist doesn't even see the girl at all. She is just there to smile at him.
So... by drinking 7UP, one would feel sufficiently positive about life that they can break out into song and dance and attract the random pretty girl in the yellow dress? Preposterous. The ad was fine, you even had the random group of people cheering Sharman after his dance-off, why add this needless distraction?
Now this can be extended to almost every ad out there. Are advertisers really just trying to sell us sex? Or the possibility of it? Deo ads no doubt take the cake. Axe was even sued by one man who failed to attract the hordes of girls that the ads promised him if he used their product (or was this fake? Read this hilarious article. Apparently the author agrees with me).
A certain liquor ad featured a well built hunk of a man going from his boardroom to surfing at the beach to the nightclub with a sexy lady and several other places and was still home in time to kiss his mother goodnight. A Tata Sky services ad features a couple and hints at infidelity. John Abraham's Skybags got him in bed with a hot adulteress. Cadbury Silk ads have people sharing a messy, melty chocolate bar (kinky) to a soundtrack of "Kiss Me." Coke ads say that you can meet a hot girl like Kalki Koechlin on a crowded bus. Close Up tells you that their toothpaste will enable you to bowl over strangers with one whiff of your awesomely fresh, nearly crystalline breath, or make out in a lift. A Vodafone ad featuring a little boy and girl involved in first love was in fact pulled because of the supposed sexual undertones. Then there was my favorite: the Okaya batteries ad with the dancing allegedly Japanese model.
It just makes me wonder... what is the motive of advertising? Is it to sell toothpaste, toiletries, candy, adhesives, cars, beer, pens, phones, insurance, wheels, generators, jewelry, and everything under the sun? Or are they just selling sex? The possibility of? The promise of? I miss the old Fevicol ads. The just wanted to sell glue.
Now as for condom ads... oh, wait. Never mind.
Advertisements are meant to sell. And nothing sells like sex. In every single corner of the world, sex sells. From the assembly in Karnataka to the harddrives seized from Osama's Abottabad hideout. Sex sells, and the whole world is buying.
It isn't news that sex sells. What disturbs me, however, is the trend of selling sex. The number of ads out there that sell the idea, or possibility of copulation is ever on the rise. And no, I'm not talking about the obvious- no grooming products, no deos or hair gels or fairness creams. Hell, the entire personal care industry is about upping one's sex appeal, no secret there. But it's rather disconcerting, if not frustrating, to see this card played everywhere.
I'll take two minor occurrences in two ads as examples.
Take the Samsung Galaxy Y ad with the "Talking Tom" app. The ad features a man and a woman (quite attractive) being shouted at by their boss, when to their rescue comes the cool dude with this hilarious app. Fine, no problem so far. The boss is amused, and the cool dude drops the product's catch phrase, basically saying that the boss people of the world who think they are very cool but don't even have this phone are not as cool as they think they are. Inane, but acceptable. But here comes the kicker, and you can almost feel it coming. You cringe in anticipation... and there it is. The girl looks at the guy with a saucy look. She is impressed. She wants him. Maybe right now, in the supply closet. Why not, it is an awesome phone. The angle of the shot even gives it a suggestion of something on the sly, something they know is naughty.
Is this the whole point of the ad? "Buy our phone and you can get laid by the hot office lady." You will attract a woman's attention. They will want you. They will need you. Many a dollar has been made by targeting a man's genitals.
The other ad is the Sharman Joshi dancing penguin 7UP ad. It's a fine ad, with some animation proficiency. It has Sharman Joshi and a penguin involved in an intense dance-off, because 7UP makes Sharman "feel up." Who cares if they copied Happy Feet, it's fun to watch.
So what's my problem with it? There is a girl that enters near the END of the ad, and is there to only look at and be impressed by Sharman. I should be used to this, right? But here's the kicker: this time, our protagonist doesn't even see the girl at all. She is just there to smile at him.
Now this can be extended to almost every ad out there. Are advertisers really just trying to sell us sex? Or the possibility of it? Deo ads no doubt take the cake. Axe was even sued by one man who failed to attract the hordes of girls that the ads promised him if he used their product (or was this fake? Read this hilarious article. Apparently the author agrees with me).
A certain liquor ad featured a well built hunk of a man going from his boardroom to surfing at the beach to the nightclub with a sexy lady and several other places and was still home in time to kiss his mother goodnight. A Tata Sky services ad features a couple and hints at infidelity. John Abraham's Skybags got him in bed with a hot adulteress. Cadbury Silk ads have people sharing a messy, melty chocolate bar (kinky) to a soundtrack of "Kiss Me." Coke ads say that you can meet a hot girl like Kalki Koechlin on a crowded bus. Close Up tells you that their toothpaste will enable you to bowl over strangers with one whiff of your awesomely fresh, nearly crystalline breath, or make out in a lift. A Vodafone ad featuring a little boy and girl involved in first love was in fact pulled because of the supposed sexual undertones. Then there was my favorite: the Okaya batteries ad with the dancing allegedly Japanese model.
It just makes me wonder... what is the motive of advertising? Is it to sell toothpaste, toiletries, candy, adhesives, cars, beer, pens, phones, insurance, wheels, generators, jewelry, and everything under the sun? Or are they just selling sex? The possibility of? The promise of? I miss the old Fevicol ads. The just wanted to sell glue.
Now as for condom ads... oh, wait. Never mind.
