The presence of sexual appeals in advertising is very pervasive in the United States and in fact, in much of the world. Contemporary consumption is often promoted in terms of fulfilling erotic fantasies and appetites. However, the use of such appeals is constantly contested in terms of ethics and morality, much of sexual norms in general have been contested throughout both American and world history. Sexual appeals used in ads are of many types and consist of a variety of elements. They often are grounded in vis

For example, though ads that simply use attractive, sexy models are themselves problematic to some people, the consensus seems to be that such ads are acceptable. Many, if not most people, would probably oppose nudity in general advertising. Hence in relating sexual appeals to ethical concerns, we must consider not only sexual appeals in general but also the specific forms of those appeals. Extremely sexual stimuli, such as nude models, or models in extremely stimulating poses, have been shown to be ineffective selling techniques for both men and women. The research indicates that a model perceived as sexy and attractive may enhance ad effectiveness if the model is perceived as appropriate to the product situation. However, extremely seductive, partially clad, and nude models are as likely to create unfavorable as favorable effects. There will be strong differences in evaluation of such models. The sexier the advertising message, the more risky it becomes in terms of communication effectiveness. Therefore, communication effectiveness will be enhanced if advertisers use models that are attractive and sexy, but avoid using overly seductive, nude or partially clad models.

There are cases of course where sexuality is related to the advertised product. Advertising of sexually related products in magazines such as Penthouse and Playboy is an example. Also advertising for adult or sex films will use nudity in advertising. But advertising of sexually related products is the only area that will truly benefit from the sexually explicit commercials. From looking at the research conducted on the topic of the communication effectiveness of sexually designed advertisements, we can conclude that the use of decorative, attractive, partially clad, and nude models do facilitate recognition of an advertisement, and female models are particularly effective among male consumers. But decorative models are just as effective in getting attention as nude or partially clad models. The research evidence suggests that it is the presence of an attractive person which accounts for attention getting, not the nudity or sexual suggestiveness. The sexier the advertising message, the more risky it becomes in terms of communication effectiveness.

ual elements, such as attractive models, and may portray varying degrees of nudity and suggestiveness. However, such appeals may also include suggestive verbal elements, as well as other elements, such as suggestive music and even smells in "scent strip" advertising. Consideration of these elements is important because they may determine whether people think the sexual appeal is ethical or unethical.

However, a decorative model will not result in increased recognition of all aspects of the advertisement. Consequently, the presence of decorative models had no significant effect on brand-name recognition but still exerts influence on product image, and product

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Approximate Word count = 1962
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)