Comments on: American Apparel is sexy. Really sexy! http://xiikblog.com/2010/03/05/american-apparel-is-sexy-really-sexy/ Making sense more common. Fri, 22 Jul 2011 07:12:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Thomas Phifer http://xiikblog.com/2010/03/05/american-apparel-is-sexy-really-sexy/#comment-181 Sat, 06 Mar 2010 22:12:32 +0000 http://xiikblog.com/?p=457#comment-181 The new game that just came out “Heavy Rain” for the PS3 has a controllable sex scene in it as well. Its done rather tastefully though not like “Hot coffee” in GTA: SA.

]]> By: Topher O http://xiikblog.com/2010/03/05/american-apparel-is-sexy-really-sexy/#comment-180 Sat, 06 Mar 2010 20:29:22 +0000 http://xiikblog.com/?p=457#comment-180 I think you raise a lot of good points, Josh. However, I think you may have missed a huge effect that sex-selling also has. One of the concepts behind branding is that by associating yourself with that brand, you’ll pick up some of the characteristics. Luxury cars, for instance, give drivers the ability to express confidence (they think) and success – things attached to brands like Porsche, but not attached to Daewoo.

I think that some marketers believe that if they can attach sexiness to their brand, they can attract those seeking that attribute – hoping that by wearing those brands, they can be as sexy as the models or live the lifestyle portrayed in the photographs. Abercrombie & Fitch, especially, has been using sex as a sales technique for years. Funny, because several of their ads include models wearing very little of A&F’s clothing, if any. So, I’d say there are, in fact, at least two goals with the “sexy selling”:

1. Establish the brand as a sexy brand and promote that as one of the key characteristics of the brand and those who use/wear it.

2. Engage and sometimes shock potential customers with the risqué material. This gets attention, press and chatter.

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