catch the eyes of consumers; making them remember their product while shopping.

Transcription

1 Grogan 1 Briana Grogan English 100B Professor Jodi Simmons 5 May 2015 Sexual Desire in Advertisements The media is a major factor in everyday society. Cell phones, TV s, advertisements, and the world wide web, consume the minds of the people living in today s society. Without acknowledgement, consumers take in several different sources of media on a daily basis. The most common source of media is advertising. Whether there is a billboard with a Fast and Furious endorsement or a sexy commercial of a woman eating a Carl s Jr. burger, advertising is everywhere. Often times, companies will use sex appeal to attract customers. Since beauty is such an important aspect in today s culture, many people pay attention to those ads because they either want to physically look like them or physically be with them. Also, unknowingly to the audience, rhetorical strategies are being used to engage them and keep them coming back for more. Using sexual desire, the advertisements of Victoria s Secret, Peta, and Got Milk? skillfully catch the eyes of consumers; making them remember their product while shopping.

2 Grogan 2 Victoria s Secret is famously known for their lingerie and, most popularly, their bras. In this Valentine s Day ad displayed on the company s website, Candice Swanepoel poses seductively, depicting one of the 7 Sides of Sexy. The center of the ad reads, This Valentine s Day, Victoria s Secret dares you to make a scene. Be a tease. Be that girl. Be wild at heart. Everything you need is here for the taking. To the left of the ad are links to the seven different types of bras that will help women be that girl and be a tease. Since Swanepoel is one of the most successful Victoria s Secret supermodels and well-known for being sexy, she is the perfect model to advertise this. Using ethos, Victoria s Secret knows that not only is their label on a product enough credibility, but also Swanepoel because she is known for her sex appeal. If a man is looking for something to buy his girlfriend for Valentine s Day at Victoria s Secret and sees this ad of Swanepoel, he ll automatically be drawn to it because he would want his girlfriend to look the same. The same goes for when women buy lingerie and see Swanepoel and are drawn to it because most women want to look like supermodels. Like Victoria s Secret, beauty plays a major role in PETA s ad campaign against animal testing.

3 Grogan 3 Sofia Sisniega says, True beauty is cruelty-free, and PETA agrees. In this nearly nude ad, PETA Latino partners up with Sisniega to turn people s heads and make them think twice before buying products tested on animals. In the ad, Peta explains, Every year, countless animals are poisoned and killed in cruel and archaic product tests. Always choose products not tested on animals. In the bottom right corner, a white rabbit sits at the foot of Sisniega. At a first glance, Sisniega stands out because she takes up a majority of the ad, while the rabbit doesn t. The rabbit is white, so it also blends into the background. PETA s message is clearly meant to be presented by, or on, Sisniega. Also, Sisniega is not clothed and that makes people talk and it causes controversy because of the daring nature of the ad. This ad uses a combination of ethos, pathos, and logos. With the credibility of PETA and what their organization stands for, ethos is used to ensure the audience that what is being communicated can be trusted. Pathos is displayed in the ad with the unfortunate statistic and then seeing the rabbit in the ad as well makes people feel sympathetic for the animals being tested on. As for logos, the logic to not buy products that have been tested on animals is practical and makes people feel ashamed if they do so. Although overly sexual for the message trying to come across, PETA s message is still being communicated tactfully because people will pay attention to an attractive woman. While almost nude women capture the eyes of most people, so do men.

4 Grogan 4 David Beckham is not only known for his incredible athletic ability on the soccer field, but also for his attractiveness. In this ad for Got Milk? Beckham is the main focus. Taking up half of the ad, Beckham s abs, arms, and pecs are on full display. The signature white mustache lies comfortably on Beckham s upper lip and to the right of him are the words, Goal by Beckham. Body by Milk. Implying that while Beckham has the skill, his body was made by drinking milk. In smaller letters, the ad explains, Heads up. The protein in milk helps build muscle and some studies suggest teens who choose it tend to be leaner. Staying active, eating right, and drinking a glass a day of low fat or fat free milk helps you look great. So grab a glass and get in the game. While the advertisers try to make it seem like all it takes to look as good as Beckham is to drink milk, the smaller text explains that milk is only a contributing factor in becoming or remaining fit. However, most people see Beckham and the first two lines in the ad and continue flipping through the magazine. With his credibility, the Got Milk? ad uses ethos to get people to pay attention. Once people are paying attention, the advertisers use logos by explaining why it s important to drink milk and stay active. Beckham is seen as a sex symbol which is why using his body in this ad helps the product flourish. All in all, as the saying goes, sex sells. People are intrigued by the physical beauty of those they are attracted to more so than anything else. Sellers know this and use it to their

5 Grogan 5 advantage to get their product sold. Through ethos, pathos and logos, the advertising world influences a lot of the decisions we make on a day to day basis. In these three ads, the sexual desire for these people makes the ad attention grabbing and makes people want to buy the product so they can feel sexy. These companies are very successful and regardless of how the ad was communicated, their message was delivered. With such memorable faces and brands, these ads stick in the minds of audiences and help their companies grow.

6 Grogan 6 Works Cited "Actor Sofia Sisniega Urges Shoppers to Choose Only Cruelty-free Products Features PETA Latino." PETA Latino Actor Sofia Sisniega Urges Shoppers to Choose Only Crueltyfree Products Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 May < features/sofia-sisniega-urges-shoppers-choose-cruelty-free-products/>. "David Beckham Got Milk Ad Football Star Wallpaper." Download. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 May < "Victoria's Secret - Jaimebandres." Victoria's Secret - Jaimebandres. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 May <