# Most gratuitous use of sex in advertising?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gratuitous-use-of-sex-in-advertising/393227
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [February 22, 2007, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gratuitous-use-of-sex-in-advertising/393227 "2007-02-22T15:25:21Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Bibliovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bibliovore)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2007, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gratuitous-use-of-sex-in-advertising/393227/1 "2007-02-22T15:25:21Z")
I was jogging during my lunch break the other day when I was passed by a delivery truck. I never would have even noticed it except for the fact that alongside a huge picture of a can of “Sliced Mushrooms in Brine”, there was an equally huge picture of a blonde in a bra pouting sexily at the camera. As if this wasn’t bad enough, the word “FUNGTASTIC!” was splashed above the blonde in letters a foot high. It had me shaking my head in utter disbelief all day.
I mean _seriously_, do they really think some cleavage is going to make sliced mushrooms in brine _sexy_?
So what was the most gratuitous and stupid use of sex in advertising that you’ve seen recently?
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### Author:  [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2007, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gratuitous-use-of-sex-in-advertising/393227/2 "2007-02-22T15:33:28Z")
I can’t think of one at the moment, but I would add: Who the heck thought ‘FUNGTASTIC!’ was a nifty slogan?
Yes, they’re mushrooms. I get it. That doesn’t mean I want to be reminded of the word FUNGUS. :rolleyes:
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2007, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gratuitous-use-of-sex-in-advertising/393227/3 "2007-02-22T15:53:56Z")
The one that springs immediately to mind is the thinly disguised fellatio imagery in adverts for Cadbury’s Flake.
[ ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcbhHOZZXnI)
[![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEhfxGGCDzY)
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### Author:  [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2007, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gratuitous-use-of-sex-in-advertising/393227/4 "2007-02-22T16:05:34Z")
[QUOTE=Book Monster]
I mean _seriously_, do they really think some cleavage is going to make sliced mushrooms in brine _sexy_?
[/QUOTE]
_BOING!_
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### Author:  [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2007, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gratuitous-use-of-sex-in-advertising/393227/5 "2007-02-22T16:30:15Z")
But really, is sex _ever_ gratuitous?
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### Author:  [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2007, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gratuitous-use-of-sex-in-advertising/393227/6 "2007-02-22T16:36:28Z")
Not really recent, but the Carls Jr commercials with Paris Hilton fit that catergory. Skinny, attractive (to some I suppose), blonde wearing next to nothing while writhing on a Bentley to sell hamburgers strikes me as highly gratuiitous sex in advertising.
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### Author:  [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2007, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gratuitous-use-of-sex-in-advertising/393227/7 "2007-02-22T16:38:59Z")
[QUOTE=Cervaise]
But really, is sex _ever_ gratuitous?
[/QUOTE]
Yes; it’s best served that way.
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### Author:  [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2007, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gratuitous-use-of-sex-in-advertising/393227/8 "2007-02-22T16:43:41Z")
There is a car commercial, and I can’t remember which one, where the couple is driving on the side of a building. That’s how grippy the car is 🙂 There is a moment where the woman starts pouring water, but the man slows the car so it splashes her in the face. In a very, in my and Mrs. Prefect’s opinion, pr0nographic style… Then again we are dirty, dirty shiznos so we might just be extrapolating but it does look gratuitous to us.
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### Author:  [@Queuing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Queuing)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2007, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gratuitous-use-of-sex-in-advertising/393227/9 "2007-02-22T17:36:53Z")
[QUOTE=FordPrefect]
There is a car commercial, and I can’t remember which one, where the couple is driving on the side of a building. That’s how grippy the car is 🙂 There is a moment where the woman starts pouring water, but the man slows the car so it splashes her in the face. In a very, in my and Mrs. Prefect’s opinion, pr0nographic style… Then again we are dirty, dirty shiznos so we might just be extrapolating but it does look gratuitous to us.
[/QUOTE]
I have seen this commercial, and I agree completely. “In the face!” always pops to my mind..
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### Author:  [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2007, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gratuitous-use-of-sex-in-advertising/393227/10 "2007-02-22T18:13:40Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout]
https://www.youtube.com/embed/wEhfxGGCDzY?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque
[/QUOTE]
And all of a sudden – A HORSE!
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### Author:  [@Mouse\_Maven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mouse_Maven)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2007, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gratuitous-use-of-sex-in-advertising/393227/11 "2007-02-22T18:21:59Z")
I’m not sure if logos count as advertising, but [here](http://www.b3ta.com/features/phalliclogoawards/) you go.
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### Author:  [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2007, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gratuitous-use-of-sex-in-advertising/393227/12 "2007-02-22T19:16:36Z")
The new Tag commercial: “Spray more, Get more” with the legion of women rushing onto the beach smacks pretty heavily of sex.
I’d like to see that guy try to please that many women though… I’d start a betting pool on when his balls explode.
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2007, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gratuitous-use-of-sex-in-advertising/393227/13 "2007-02-22T19:32:32Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout]
The one that springs immediately to mind is the thinly disguised fellatio imagery in adverts for Cadbury’s Flake.
[/QUOTE]
When I saw the thread title I immediately thought of Cadbury’s. But I’ve never heard of flake, and never seen those commercials.
Never before has a TV commercial made me want to masturbate like a mother fucker.
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### Author:  [@Aangelica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aangelica)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2007, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gratuitous-use-of-sex-in-advertising/393227/14 "2007-02-22T19:34:32Z")
[QUOTE=Autolycus]
The new Tag commercial: “Spray more, Get more” with the legion of women rushing onto the beach smacks pretty heavily of sex.
I’d like to see that guy try to please that many women though… I’d start a betting pool on when his balls explode.
[/QUOTE]
See, my interpretation of that commercial is that all those women are running frantically to beat the holy living hell out of that jackass hosing Axe all over the place.
That might be me projecting my feelings about Axe, though.
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### Author:  [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2007, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gratuitous-use-of-sex-in-advertising/393227/15 "2007-02-22T19:36:20Z")
[QUOTE=Antinor01]
Not really recent, but the Carls Jr commercials with Paris Hilton fit that catergory. Skinny, attractive (to some I suppose), blonde wearing next to nothing while writhing on a Bentley to sell hamburgers strikes me as highly gratuiitous sex in advertising.
[/QUOTE]
Personal opinion, of course - but I thought the [hot chick on the mechanical bull](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPc70pG-7tY) commercial was MUCH… erm … more appetizing? And by appetizing I mean a more titillating gratuitious use of sex in advertising.
On edit - hey **tdn** - check out my link. 😉
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### Author:  [@goldenmean1975](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/goldenmean1975)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2007, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gratuitous-use-of-sex-in-advertising/393227/16 "2007-02-22T19:36:59Z")
A couple of years ago there was a commercial for “pull-ups” diapers. It had this little jingle “I’m a big kid now…” and showed this toddler using the toilett and pulling up his pull up then he runs and grabs the leg of a woman his mom I assume, and it just shows her crotch area, thats it. There are several versions of this commercial and they all have differents kids and different mom crotches, all of which are slim and attractive, no camel toe.
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### Author:  [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2007, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gratuitous-use-of-sex-in-advertising/393227/17 "2007-02-22T19:42:24Z")
[QUOTE=FordPrefect]
There is a car commercial, and I can’t remember which one, where the couple is driving on the side of a building. That’s how grippy the car is 🙂 There is a moment where the woman starts pouring water, but the man slows the car so it splashes her in the face. In a very, in my and Mrs. Prefect’s opinion, pr0nographic style… Then again we are dirty, dirty shiznos so we might just be extrapolating but it does look gratuitous to us.
[/QUOTE]
Really silly nitpick, but if he slowed the car, the water would splash on the windshield, right? He had to be **accelerating…** or so I would think.
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### Author:  [@FordPrefect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordPrefect)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2007, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gratuitous-use-of-sex-in-advertising/393227/18 "2007-02-22T19:49:07Z")
Next time I see that commercial I’ll try to keep a better eye on his footwork rather than the splashdown 🙂
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### Author:  [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2007, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gratuitous-use-of-sex-in-advertising/393227/19 "2007-02-22T20:23:36Z")
Abercrombie & Fitch.
They’re the ones with the 12’ x 12’ pictures of half nude boys in their storefront windows. They do sell shirts there don’t they? Then why aren’t the models wearing them?
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### Author:  [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)
#### Post date: [February 22, 2007, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-gratuitous-use-of-sex-in-advertising/393227/20 "2007-02-22T20:33:44Z")
[QUOTE=Hampshire]
Abercrombie & Fitch.
They’re the ones with the 12’ x 12’ pictures of half nude boys in their storefront windows. They do sell shirts there don’t they? Then why aren’t the models wearing them?
[/QUOTE]
Those are the before pictures. The after pictures of them wearing the clothes simply haven’t been taken yet. (at least thats the interpretation I’m going with) 😉
> [@Doctor Who](#):
>
> Personal opinion, of course - but I thought the hot chick on the mechanical bull commercial was MUCH… erm … more appetizing? And by appetizing I mean a more titillating gratuitious use of sex in advertising.
Well, the OP did ask for gratuitous and stupid, which the Paris commercials fit.
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