Track2Realty Exclusive: There is also the question of whether sex actually is effective as ads with a little less skin and a little more elegance. While sex sells the same things that other images of wealth and control do, it triggers a lot more reaction, both positive and negative.
A man and woman in formal, obviously expensive, dress amidst tasteful furnishings can create an image of the marketed lifestyle.
Similarly, titillation may play a big part in using sex to market wow, but the customer looking at the 19 year old model whose bosom is threatening to fall out of her bathing suit may not buy a luxury condo out of that excitement.
“Of course we understand it is a competitive business and realty companies have to differentiate themselves. But to succeed in creating a oomph factor to your brand campaign, agencies and developers must provide enough information so that a reasonable person cannot attribute more than one meaning to the message conveyed, in order that the public be properly informed as to the actual meaning of the message,” a member of Advertising Standard Council of India says.
Sex is creeping into advertisements aimed at the young and upwardly-mobile or those who wish they were. With a relaxation of strictures on the use of sex in advertising, the use of it to market real estate will become more common.
However, those who take a dim view of sexy real estate ads still have cause to rejoice. Real estate will probably be comparatively free from sex-driven ads due to the fact that most real estate is, well, just not sexy.
Requesting anonymity the creative head of a leading agency handling many real estate campaigns says, “It is a very complex issue. In advertising, people will go to the limit to get a reaction. The rules are very flexible in India but people in real estate are much more careful with the sensibilities of the buyers. Simply put, sex in advertising is the use of sexually provocative or erotic imagery (or sounds, suggestions and subliminal messages) that are specifically designed to arouse interest in a particular product, service or brand. That, unfortunately, does not go well with the family decision of buying a house.”
…to be continued
