"Sex Sells"...Calvin Klein Perfume

Calvin Klein is a brand known for using sex appeal to target and attract customers. The company has even had the issue of having its print ads pulled off the market due to controversial content involving racy poses featuring minors. Although the company’s advertisements no longer feature underage models, they are still under scrutiny by many. Some people see these ads as degrading, offensive, and demonstrating an extreme lack of morals. So why does the Calvin Klein brand continue to produce ads such as this one for “Escape” perfume? In this advertisement, we instantly notice a strong bond of chemistry between the man and woman. The man is dressed in all black, often representing sexiness and an increase in the overall appeal to the opposite sex. The woman is wearing a tight, sleek, and more than likely high-class dress. Both of the people’s hair is slicked back, and a strong focus is drawn to the passion that is visible on their faces. The name of the perfume is written in large, bold words across the top of the advertisement, and is virtually impossible to miss. This lends us to believe that the name of the fragrance alone contributes greatly to the appeal of the product. The word “escape” has an undertone of something you should long for: something you should want. It implies that this perfume will allow you to “escape” into the world that is this advertisement. The world where this couple is passionate and sexy and nothing else seems to matter, unlike what most people find to be true in the real world. So, is this type of advertisement successful enough to make up for the harassment a company, such as Calvin Klein, faces when they run a controversial ad with a strong focus on sex appeal in order to sell their product? Apparently it is, because ads such as this are the norm in catalogs and magazines today. Major companies must have discovered that it really is true that sex sells.

Post By: Katie Huston