Sexual degradation, Stereotypes and perfume advertising

This blogger has been writing about marketing strategies to sell perfume over the years, and one of the subjects on the spotlight was the use of sex to sell perfumes. Click HERE, HERE and HERE for the previous articles. Fragrance marketers play with consumer's fantasy. Desirability, attraction and passion are most of the central themes in fragrance positioning since 1970. What changes throughout the years is the is the content and the way to express desire. Now, I could go back some decades and fill this blog with articles about this particular sexual - social behavior, which is very interesting, but I want to focus more in the present times, because they are really disturbing. Somewhere in the long run, sexism and treating people, specially women, like meat became the newest way to shock and promote a fragrance.

Women are usually framed in a position that sends the message of submission or that the only instrument she has is to use her sexuality in order to get what she wants.

In the world of rapers-hip hopers, women are objects with huge butts, to shake and be spanked by very cool dudes with huge chains on the neck. Most rap videos show women in a submissive degrading stereotyped situation, so no wonder Mr. Sean John's fragrance campaigns will have the same controversial sexual attitude. Here you will see the advertising for his fragrance Unforgivable Woman. Unforgivable is the advertising showing Mr. Sean forcing himself onto the female model. If you look at the model's face you will see pain, not joy. So either he wants to say that women should be submissive to all men's desires, or he is kinda in his way to rape her... Yes my friends, forced sexual intercourse is called rape.

In another unforgivable perfume ad by the same hip hoper, you will see that Mr. Sean John is sitting naked on the bed holding an Asian woman on his lap. Take a close look at her face -she is looking to nowhere. Im my opinion it expresses disconnection to the real world, the look of dead meat. Again, you will see that he is selling a product that his demographic loves the most: male dominance and female objectification. This time with a minority - Asian girls. Probably suggesting massage houses of Thailand, strip clubs in Vietnam, Japanese geishas etc, etc, etc...stereotypes...

It is obvious to this blogger that Mr. Sean thinks that fame and success is the door to wealth and superiority, and the message is very clear "use my fragrances and you will get some of my power over women". Ok, you might argue with me that the first advertising presented is in fact a fragrance for women. I noticed that - but hey! Women over the years were educated to have a protective male around, someone who takes care of you and if he shows who is the boss, it is "natural", just accept it.

Take you time to watch the advertising video of One Million by Pacco Rabane.

Here you will find many stereotyped situations, where the guy who wears the fragrance is successful, famous and rich. He has an expensive sports car, he has paparazzi following him every where he goes, and most of all - in a snap of his finger women undress for him. Yes dears, we women are reduced to prostitutes and gold diggers. The minute we see his greens we undress.

What is the common element in these campaigns? Female submission. The man is always holding women from behind, with their arms around the body or neck. It does suggest that these women are receiving pleasure, no doubt about it, but the man is controlling the game. These advertisings somehow recreates some sexual scenes of pornographic movies, that we all know, are made only for men.


Now let's move to fragrances for women, where female models are advertising the perfumes:
As noted by Tom Reichert, author of The Erotic History of Advertising 
Aromatic Aphrodisiacs: Fragrance, “Sexual content in fragrance advertising is manifest in the usual ways: as models showing skin-chests and breasts, open shirts, tight-fitting clothing-and as dalliances involving touching, kissing, embracing, and voyeurism. These outward forms of sexual content are often woven into the explicit and implicit sexual … promises to make the wearer more sexually attractive, more likely to engage in sexual behavior, or simply ‘feel’ more sexy for one's own enjoyment.” 

The message advertisers are really passing by is not only the promise of a steamy sex life, but also that women are confined into certain roles and a unreal image of perfectionism and youth. The ideal body, the perfect hair and of course the young age is imposed to females. No wonder why we have seen so many women fighting depression, putting herself into starvation, surgical interventions, Botox, silicone, fake hair...who can compete with the perfect body that adverting sells? If you are not like that, you don't exist!
Rose The One by Dolce & Gabbana went back to the 50's to update the icon of Marilyn Moroe. Scarlett rolls on the bed eating strawberries...showing the curves, clivage...pretending to be Marilyn. We all know that she was and still is, the ultimate sex symbol of all times, not to mention the one responsible for the stereotype of dumb blondes. Marilyn always played the hole of a woman looking for a rich man to marry, the naive woman with such a sexual appeal that made men go nuts for her. According to her biography, the actress always wanted to be taken seriously and would prefer to do theater than musical comedies, but Hollywood wanted her sex appeal, not her skills, nor her brains. Sixty years later Dolce & Gabbana still thinks that blondes are like that or if they are not, at least this is the image they like to project.

Another blonde, another sex symbol...Gisele is the celeb endorsing The One by D&G. The perfect body, the perfect hair, mouth half opened in a lusty moment. The tiny silvery dress sliding of her shoulder...the clothe, the body, the looks and the position that every men desires...this advertising is selling her body, her sexuality, not fragrance. 


Now, this brand has gone to far this time...

This advertising is simply outrageous! It is IMO suggesting gang rape! The male model is holding the female model down by the arm, coming onto her while others are around just waiting to take their turn on her.


Who to blame? Consumers - because marketing managers rely on research to make their campaign? The female models signing the contract to be a part of this type of adverting? The brand for continually perpetrating this kind of thing? Hard to choose...


I would like to present here also some fragrance campaigns that do not rely on sex to sell. Just to bring a light, refreshing feeling to this friday...and to show you, that not only sex sells. Flower by Kenzo is one of the brand's best seller. Also L'Eau D'Issey is his best selling fragrance, while Moschino brought to advertising the fun and the beauty of pastel colors.

The newest fragrance by Oscar de La Renta has been launched recently and it is already a success. the advertising shows a woman "smelling" the flower/perfume bottle..."inhaling the spirit"...
I will finish this article by saying that if you are a woman - you don't need to be beautiful nor skinny or young. Just be yourself. And if you are a man, the woman you are objectifying today, will be the mother of your children tomorrow. And if you will have a daughter...is this the future you wish for her, to be objectified?


My message to brands like Gabanna, Tom Ford, Dior, YSL, Gucci etc etc etc...when a fragrance is really good, you don't need all that crap!!