Sex has been used to sell products in American culture for decades. The alluring promiscuity of sexuality often involves exploiting women for their appearance. The first section of this analysis examines sexuality in the media.
The notion that sex sells is typified in the Ralph Lauren perfume advertisement. A beautiful and blond woman is seen being kissed by a handsome young, male. The romantic ad catches the readers’ eyes, yet something is missing entirely from the advertisement: a perfume bottle. The ad is supposed to be promoting a fragrance, but there is no trace of one anywhere. Instead the ad agency is trying to sell the sexual appeal that one will supposedly acquire if they purchase the Ralph Lauren perfume. The ad is tapping into the emotional need for love and affection in order to get potential consumers to buy their product. …show more content…
As a leader in the fashion industry, they have developed into the epitome of white privilege, and they appeal to a very specific target market. This image captures the homogenous type of American beauty that Ralph Lauren displays to the world. The white, fit, and impeccably dressed young people are riding off extravagantly through beautiful scenery. They are on horseback, a signature trademark of the company. Ralph Lauren’s most successful brand, Polo, uses a horse for its logo. The sport of polo is reserved for wealthy elitist, and by making that a huge trademark, Ralph Lauren is appealing to an exclusive market. While Ralph Lauren reserves the right to target any market, their elitist ads in mainstream magazines seem out of place. The Ralph Lauren brand does not relate to the majority of American women, and I think their attempt to sell their product, though sexualized images is not beneficial to
The notion that sex sells is typified in the Ralph Lauren perfume advertisement. A beautiful and blond woman is seen being kissed by a handsome young, male. The romantic ad catches the readers’ eyes, yet something is missing entirely from the advertisement: a perfume bottle. The ad is supposed to be promoting a fragrance, but there is no trace of one anywhere. Instead the ad agency is trying to sell the sexual appeal that one will supposedly acquire if they purchase the Ralph Lauren perfume. The ad is tapping into the emotional need for love and affection in order to get potential consumers to buy their product. …show more content…
As a leader in the fashion industry, they have developed into the epitome of white privilege, and they appeal to a very specific target market. This image captures the homogenous type of American beauty that Ralph Lauren displays to the world. The white, fit, and impeccably dressed young people are riding off extravagantly through beautiful scenery. They are on horseback, a signature trademark of the company. Ralph Lauren’s most successful brand, Polo, uses a horse for its logo. The sport of polo is reserved for wealthy elitist, and by making that a huge trademark, Ralph Lauren is appealing to an exclusive market. While Ralph Lauren reserves the right to target any market, their elitist ads in mainstream magazines seem out of place. The Ralph Lauren brand does not relate to the majority of American women, and I think their attempt to sell their product, though sexualized images is not beneficial to