You are here: Home > sex sells
Archive | sex sells RSS feed for this section
Tums Corn Dog Carnie ad

Tums commercials gone wrong

By on September 14, 2011 in creativity, execution responsible, sex sells, viral marketing

In commercials, funny is money. So is sex. So when combined, sexually suggestive, funny commercials are usually bank. And the more sophomoric the humor, the more I usually like them. But these new spots for Tums antacid are just wrong — specifically these three: Inappropriately suggestive is funny when it makes sense, and is relevant [...]

Read full story • Comments { 4 }

Sex Sells: Just Ask Him.

By on September 23, 2009 in advertising, fun, message responsible, movies, sex sells, videos

In advertising, it’s the gospel truth: Sex sells. You’ve heard it a million times. So many times it’s gotta be true, right? Hell, even the Devil himself says it’s true in our second of seven Responsible Marketing web shorts, here: View on YouTube in HD Why not believe it? You just heard it from the [...]

Read full story • Comments { 5 }

Is Burger King’s “Square Butts” ad responsible?

By on April 10, 2009 in creativity, message responsible, responsible or not?, sex sells, videos, word of mouth

Last night, a friend from high school sent me this question via Facebook: Can you explain why ANYONE (let alone Burger King) would think it a good idea to adapt “I like Big Butts” to market a children’s meal? Here’s the ad in question: Extended version This is one of the classic Responsible Marketing questions [...]

Read full story • Comments { 10 }

Bite-sized Friday: The Virgin Edition

By on January 23, 2009 in advertising, environmentally responsible, morality, sex sells, videos

No, this isn’t the first Bite-sized Friday—just the first one since October. Bite-sized Fridays are essentially mini-posts, thematically linked. And away we go: Virgin Atlantic 25th anniversary ad Virgin Atlantic’s 25th Anniversary ad, 25 Years, Still Red Hot has been getting a lot of attention lately, but positive and negative. Some think it’s sexist, others [...]

Read full story • Comments { 1 }

10 of my favorite lists from 2008

By on January 1, 2009 in advertising, corporate responsibility, sex sells, social media, social networking, videos, viral marketing

Happy New Year! I know. I’ve ranted about lists before, but to start off 2009, one of my resolutions is to lighten up (a little) about lists. Here’s a list of 10 of my favorite lists from last year, in no particular order: The 10 most admired companies of 2008 Fortune Magazine 50 ideas on [...]

Read full story • Comments { 0 }

Responsible or not? Shockvertising

By on October 30, 2008 in creativity, morality, responsible or not?, sex sells, videos, viral marketing, word of mouth

Trendhunter did my homework for me today and compiled a four minute collection of shocking ads that will leave you asking the question, “How far is too far?” You won’t want to view this in front of small children or your boss. It features fake lesbians, phony murder scenes, employees getting punched in the face [...]

Read full story • Comments { 6 }

Is PETA’s use of nudity going too far?

By on September 23, 2008 in branding, morality, sex sells, Uncategorized, videos, word of mouth

Whether you support their cause or not, it’s impossible to ignore PETA. Their undercover investigations and campaigns are orchestrated across all media—advertising, PR, events, and social media are all a part of the mix—and most are integrated quite well. The way they get attention is always controversial, and they’ve taken on some of the titans [...]

Read full story • Comments { 12 }

Responsible or not? Biker Babe Marketing

By on September 4, 2008 in responsible or not?, sex sells, word of mouth

As marketers, we’re always looking for creative ways to break through. Biker Babe Marketing is doing just that by putting babes on Harleys, then having them drive around with their client’s ads on signs attached to their bikes. Hey, sex sells and this surely has people talking. But since the medium is the message, it’s [...]

Read full story • Comments { 1 }

OMFG: Responsible or not?

By on June 24, 2008 in authenticity, corporate responsibility, responsible or not?, sex sells, socially responsible, videos, word of mouth

For the uninitiated: OMG = “Oh my God.” OMFG = The same, plus a strategically placed F-bomb. First time I saw these ads, I wanted to write about it here, but I couldn’t seem to find the CW’s justification for taking “OMG,”—a phrase that already puts some people on edge—and plusing it with the “F” [...]

Read full story • Comments { 3 }

Is MTV’s Staying Alive Foundation going too far?

By on May 14, 2008 in message responsible, sex sells, socially responsible, videos

I am one of the few people that saw the very first video on MTV, “Video Killed the Radio Star.” I loved the channel, and I’d watch Mark Goodman and Nena Blackwood for hours on end. I’m still a big music fan (I love last.fm), but I have to admit, I stopped watching MTV when [...]

Read full story • Comments { 7 }

Responsible or not? Unilever

By on May 7, 2008 in corporate responsibility, environmentally responsible, message responsible, responsible or not?, sex sells, socially responsible, videos

I’ve mentioned Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty that encourages self esteem for young girls. It’s smart, it zags when everyone else is zigging, and as the father of young daughter it makes me want to stand up and cheer. But of course, Responsible Marketing is never black and white. Dove’s parent company, Unilever, has been [...]

Read full story • Comments { 5 }

“You’re not good enough.” Now, sign here.

By on April 8, 2008 in message responsible, sex sells, socially responsible, videos

Sad, but true. So much of marketing is about creating fear, uncertainty and doubt (or F.U.D.). Why? Because it often works. Do we have to make our customers feel like they aren’t good enough? It seem like an impossible task, doesn’t it? Our role as marketers is to find needs and fill ‘em. To do [...]

Read full story • Comments { 1 }

Responsible or not? Using sex to sell recyling

By on April 4, 2008 in environmentally responsible, responsible or not?, sex sells, socially responsible, videos

Eko-Kom wants to encourage recycling. And sex sells. So why not use sex to sell recycling? Nothing indecent here, but the sexual overtones aren’t muted, either. So what do you think? Responsible Marketing or not? Comment below to weigh in. . . . Inspiration for this post came from @adrants on Twitter

Read full story • Comments { 2 }