Sex Sells: A True Story

This is clearly a powerful ad, in many different ways. Though it is an ad to promote cologne, there is also the need to put in the man who made the cologne, Marc Jacobs. Not only do they feel the need to throw him into the photo shoot, but he is also nakedly promoting his own cologne.
When we think of the ways this ad appeals to audiences, we mainly think about how sex sells. With the ubiquity of the ad, this picture captures the attention of readers regardless of their sex, sexual preference, or age. The picture holds our attention, but not because we are interested in Jacobs' new cologne, but rather because of Jacobs is behind his cologne, in a sexy and naked pose. Through sex appeal, this ad works to grab everyone's attention as well as to "promote" his cologne.
But this ad is just one of many that uses sex as a form of appealing to audiences. Even the name of the cologne itself, Bang, is one that makes you question if there is any innuendo behind the name. But, we wouldn't be guessing if there is any sexual connotation behind Bang if there was not a naked man within the picture. This advertisement does a great job of putting two different things together, and allowing the reader to put the two puzzle pieces together: to form a sexual advertisement. There is a pro within this ad, and that is the ad stimulates the purchase of a new product. Of course, many people see this ad and think they need to go out and buy the product because the ad is that hot. But we don't really need new cologne do we? Here lies the con within this ad. We think just because the ad is powerful enough to hold our attention and we begin to drool over it, that we need to spend money on worthless things we don't NEED. And in this case, many men have said that this cologne doesn't even smell good! This equals an even BIGGER waste of money. It is true what they say, sex does sell.