Category: Creative work | 26th May 2009

Using sex effectively in an advertising campaign can be more difficult than it seems, it has been suggested.

For more mass-market products, sex should be seen as "cheeky" instead of "erotic", according to Lucy Barrett, writing for the Guardian.

She asserted that brands like Lynx and Herbal Essences are demonstrative of this cheekiness, claiming that using sex in marketing is dependent on achieving the right tone with the right product.

This does not always mean playing it safe, however, as adverts can be successful even if they receive complaints such as those seen in French Connection's FCUK campaigns, Ms Barrett said.

She added that the car industry is one sector that has worked out that sex does not always sell as having half-naked models on car bonnets was not a positive concept.

Marketers using sex may have to deal with the Advertising Standards Authority.

It is the independent organisation set up by the advertising industry to police rules laid down in the advertising codes

HS&P's creative team is led by Andy Barwood, Paul Zeidler and Lindsay Jones. Award-winning, integrated creatives, working with strong online and offline production teams to deliver their ideas.

Share Tags: Most Effective