The Erotic History of Advertising [Anglais] [Broché]

In the supposedly prudish late-19th century, tobacco products were advertised with posters showing a variety of buxom, practically (or entirely) topless women. They were invariably draped in toga-like robes and adopted pseudo-Grecian poses. In the 1930s, ads for a Midwestern varnish company used completely naked models; as they were used in trade magazines with an almost entirely male readership, it was considered unlikely that any woman would ever see them. Reichert, a University of Alabama advertising professor, unearthed these tidbits and others in the course of researching this entertaining and fairly comprehensive history of the use of sex in American advertising over the past 150 years. At first, this research may seem unnecessary, since the sex and advertising are so inextricably intertwined. Yet Reichert plots a telling time line, from the late-19th-century petticoat-wearing women coyly exposing themselves on beer tavern walls to the double entendres of 1960s magazine ads and the lasciviously photographed nudes plastered throughout today's fashion glossies. Although Reichert doesn't delve fully into the social ramifications of the constant rise of and backlash against overt sexuality in advertising or how the ads are targeted differently at men and women, he provides a fun, accessible survey of a subject everyone's familiar with. Photos.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

"Filled with pictures, vintage ads, and anecdotes, this book is informative and fun to read. Highly recommended."

"...an intriguing read..."

"...a number of fascinating anecdotes...well-documented and fully illustrated...an interesting study in excess and American values."

Victoria's Secret and Calvin Klein are brand names practically synonymous with sexually suggestive advertising. Considering their high public profile and huge profits, anyone can see that sex sells. Despite polls indicating that the public would like to see less sex in advertising, Americans don's mean what they say. They continue to respond to the lure of provocative marketing and, most important to business, they buy. Knowing this, more and more advertisers are testing the limits of public taste in the highly competitive battle to capture the consumer's attention.

All of this is well documented in Tom Reichert's profusely illustrated book, THE EROTIC HISTORY OF ADVERTISING. As Reichert amply demonstrates, the use of sex in advertising is far from being a recent fad. As long ago as the 1880s, Duke Cigarettes enclosed in their packs--not baseball cards--but similar small cards showing scantily clad "women of the stage," which encouraged purchasers to keep buying to complete the whole set. In the 1920s Woodbury soap became the market leader largely through ads with images of romantic situations and claims that Woodbury soap made a woman's skin irresistible to the touch. In the 1930s White Owl cigars had great success in marketing through ads showing attractive couples locked in a passionate kiss, suggesting that only White Owls left the breath smelling pleasant. Warner Lambert capitalized on the same kind of imagery for decades to connect Listerine mouthwash with romantic success.

With numerous illustrations showing many erotic ads--some campy, some esthetically elegant, some homoerotic--that push the boundaries of sexuality and taste from over a century of product marketing, Reichert not only tracks the history of sex in advertising but also explores the many factors that make the link between sex and our consumer culture so successful. Among other things, he considers the range of salacious imagery, from mildly suggestive to the use of outright nudity; the emotional impact of sexy ads; the influence of sex on brand recognition; what works and what doesn't; the differences between male and female responses; and the possible harms of using sex in advertising, especially in regard to young audiences and the perpetuation of female stereotypes.

This thoughtful, enjoyable, and fascinating look into the world of advertising--from the late 1800s to the most erotic ads of today--will appeal both to media-savvy consumers and aficionados of pop culture.

Tom Reichert, a professor of advertising at the University of Alabama, has dedicated ten years to studying the prevalence of sex in advertising and its effect on persuasion. He has published on this topic in many journals, is a contributor to the ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ADVERTISING, and is the lead editor and a contributor to SEX IN ADVERTISING: PERSPECTIVES ON THE EROTIC APPEAL.