Does sex sell in fragrance?

Since the start of advertising, it has utilized sexual imagery to sell products, and when it comes to fragrance products it seems prominent that money is always higher as companies are prepared to take the risk and push the boundaries, due to the age-old idea that ‘sex sells’.

In recent years adverts for fragrances and other cosmetic products have featured increasingly provocative images all designed to elicit sexual responses from as many consumers possible. They want to shock and appeal to repressed sexual desires, which are thought to carry a stronger emotional load; all for the purpose of the sale.

New fragrances from brands such a KKW have definitely used sex to sell, with Kim Kardashian creating a mold of her naked body and using this as the bottle. To promote the fragrance she posted images all over her social media of the process which were very erotic and uncensored. After the release of the perfume, Kim wrote as the caption on an Instagram upload, “This launch has had the best response out of all of my launches!”. Her perfume vanished, after selling out within a week of release.

But when we think about other iconic and successful fragrances, KKW doesn't usually come to mind. We think of brands like Chanel, Lancome, Burberry, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani, Versace, and Marc Jacobs. Over decades of working on fragrance, they have managed to create the perfect image for their brands. However, their stories aren't as extreme as Kims. They sell elegance and luxury. To a certain extent they do use sex to sell but in a less obvious way.

"Advertisers use sex because it can be very effective," said Tom Reichert, a professor and head of the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication and one of the study researchers. "Sex sells because it attracts attention. People are hardwired to notice sexually relevant information, so ads with sexual content get noticed."

People also succumb to the "buy this, get this" imagery used in ads, he said. "Some young men actually think Axe body spray will drive women crazy," Reichert said. "But brand impressions are shaped by images in advertising, too. Arguably, Calvin Klein and Victoria's Secret are not much different than Hanes or Vassarette, but perception studies show those brands are perceived as 'sexy,' and some customers want that." 

Here are some examples I found of brands selling sex in their fragrance advertisements: