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The words sex sells (“sex sells”) until recently were an axiom of the advertising business. Sex videos are a win-win. However, after 50 years of research into the advertising market, interesting things have come to light.
We remember and love sex videos, but they have no effect on us! How can this be? After all, it is known that if you put children, animals or a blonde with outstanding forms in an advertisement for anything, you can count on success. There was no doubt about this until the results of a study by Ohio University psychologists Robert Lull and Brad Bushman appeared. Their analysis was based on commercials containing violence or sex, because, as the researchers themselves wittily noted, 98% of American homes have a television, which means that the remaining 2% are left to invent their own sex and violence.
Read more:
- How advertising affects our brain
According to statistics, more than half of TV shows in America contain one or the other. The most important adult audience for advertising is those aged between 18 and 34. They prefer just such television content, they are quite solvent and easily influenced by advertising, while an older audience manages to develop certain purchasing behavior and has established preferences. That is why there is so much advertising in programs that show violence or sex. In addition, advertisements for products intended for this audience contain elements of violence and sexual images. It would seem that here is the recipe for success: take the popular sex programs with the highest viewing frequency, put in them sexy videos advertising products that are suitable for the audience, and expect sales to grow. And what do we have?
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- Our family through the eyes of advertising
Sexy videos undoubtedly dominate the frequency of views. When viewed, subjects experienced an increase in heart rate and pulse rate compared to conventional advertisements offering dishwashing detergents and shower gels. Nevertheless, such unsophisticated advertising is effective. Moreover, after watching sex videos, the viewer often cannot remember the item that is advertised at all! Not to mention the desire to immediately purchase the advertised product.
Why? It’s about the nature of our attention. The resource of attention is limited, and if you are absorbed in one object, everything that surrounds it recedes into the background. The same is true for advertising containing elements of violence. Department store chain Walmart says its ads are more profitable when they’re not related to something “dirty.” Therefore, although sexual and violent ads attract the largest audience, they cannot compete with Aunt Asya’s ads in terms of effectiveness.
See more at publications of The New York Magazine.