When Sex Shouldn't Sell: Taking Corporate Responsibility in Marketing
Written on September 17, 2007 by Susan Payton
When Sex Shouldn’t Sell: Taking Corporate Responsibility in Marketing
You may have heard about (or seen) Hardee’s commercials featuring a strip-teasing teacher, Paris Hilton washing a car, or a woman putting her fist in her mouth and wondered exactly what the burger chain was selling. The company has been getting a lot of flack for its “sex sells” campaigns, and I have to agree with the critics. While, yes, as a marketer, I understand that sex is used all the time to sell products, I have to draw the line at the innuendo that a teacher being ogled by her students presents. Sure, it was a spoof. I could almost laugh at it. But for the fact that degrades women (essentially comparing them to a slab of beef) and gives young men and women a skewed idea of what marketing should be.
And come on, who really believes Paris washes her own car or eats greasy burgers?
I almost don’t want to write about Hardee’s commercials, because doing so just draws more attention to them, which is what they want. Good or bad, they’re getting the kind of publicity that money can’t buy. News stations all over the country are discussing the outrage felt by teachers (and women in general). So will Hardee’s employees be bored as a result? Hardly. I’m willing to bet their sales go up anyway.
But this brings up the issue of corporate responsibility. Farce or not, does Hardee’s really want to be portrayed as a misogynistic, sexist entity just to sell a few burgers? When I wrote about Intel’s marketing goofup the company clearly realized it had crossed a line. Why is it easier to determine that boundary with race but not with sex?
I realize the world isn’t about to stop because I’m a soft feminist. Scantily clad women will continue to sell watches, cars, and yes, burgers. All I’m asking is for ad execs to think about the damage this is doing to both men and women. Men, buying that burger will NOT make sexy women cling to you. Women, your worth is not determined by whether you can fit your fist in your mouth.
Society is filled with enough mini-Britneys, age seven. Let’s not clone more. I sure am glad I have a son.
-Susan
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“When Sex Shouldn’t Sell” — I am tired of ads addressing men’s sexual dysfunction. They are totally inappropriate for TV — they have ruined one of my fave songs for me (“Viva Las Vegas”), they are embarrassing to see in the company of a new date or companion, and hard to explain to young kids. I don’t care if it’s Cialis or the herbal concoctions which “make life more fun” and “increase your size.” Get rid of them. Whatever happened to the advertising standards police???
[...] costume chain store in New York CIty), I’m sad to see that Burger King has resorted to using sex to sell [...]
I have bit my tounge in the past, but am so outraged at Hardees approach to use a sexual marketing campaign for their new “what” burger. Did anyone even remember what the product was? If Hardees wants to target their horney male clientele, then go for it! But not during prime time when children are watching. I think Hardees is being totaly irresponsible and hypocritical. Let’s see, use advertising to bring in a bunch of sexually aroused men, then run your ads to bring in the little children and moms! What a “COMBO”. That’s one I’ll pass on! The only way to exert change is to boycott Hardees and I intend to do so. The marketing people need to get their heads out of their butts — or maybe that’s the problem, they are so into that kind of advertising that they can’t come up with more positive ways to sell their product.