In the post #MeToo era, does sex still sell? 4 industry experts reveal their naked thoughts
Marketers around the world have been scrambling to adapt their visual identity and messaging to a post #MeToo era. To investigate if the long-held adage “sex sells” still rings true in 2022, Seja Al Zaidi asks four very different, esteemed women in the industry what they think – and their thoughts are more provocative than you may expect.
“Sex sells” is a phrase so ubiquitous, you’d be hard-pressed to find a single person who hasn’t internalised it in light of their attitude to branding, media, products and advertising.
However, in 2022, consumers choose products and develop brand allegiances based on an alignment with their moral standards. In a post #MeToo era, those standards are more pronounced, and certainly more influential in every sphere governing modern corporate life and messaging.
Last year, Victoria’s Secret, long known for its glamorous hot pink and bejeweled aesthetics, ditched its menagerie of fit supermodel ‘Angels’ in lieu of a more diverse cast of brand representatives. VS established that ‘What Women Want’ is to see stretch marks and transgender models on their website, and so it pivoted, in a move deemed by many to be superficial and performative in light of serious internal harassment and misconduct allegations.
