Ooh-la-la: Boost your client’s sex appeal

It’s one of the oldest clichés in advertising: Sex sells.

There’s a reason why it works. It gets people’s attention. Sex has long been used in print, TV and even radio advertising.

And it can be used in OOH, too, whether it’s a street team of scantily clad models, putting ads on dollar bills in a strip club or a traditional billboard with a sexy image.

To find out how to get your client using the “sex sells” approach, read on.

This is one in a Media Life series on buying out-of-home venues. They appear weekly.

Fast Facts

What

Using sex, sexy slogans or scantily clad models in out of home advertising.

Who

Most out-of-home or alternative media vendors can help with sexy campaigns, and they’ll work with advertisers on an effective tone and level of taste.

How it works

Sexy campaigns can work across the gamut of OOH venues.

The key is keeping the campaign in line with the advertiser’s overall message, tone and sense of humor.

A sure way to create the biggest impact is display ads such as billboards, street signage or ads on buses and taxis. The ads will be seen by a lot of eyeballs. Often people will share the sexiest and cleverest ones via social media using their smartphones.

In a recent Lane Bryant campaign, the plus-size retailer pokes fun at Victoria’s Secrets’ angels (models) by showing women larger than a size 2 can be sexy too.

Lane Bryant is using the hashtag #ImNoAngel in its billboards and bus ads, encouraging people to repeat it on the various social media channels.

Another way for OOH advertisers sell with sex is using attractive street teams. This could be anything from a crew of women wearing sexy nurse costumes and talking up a TV service to swimsuit-wearing men and women with ad messages painted on their torsos.

Street teams aren’t just about the models, though.

A few years ago Trojan ran a multi-market campaign that included a “Pleasure Cart,” where street team members used hot dog carts to distribute personal massagers.

Victoria’s Secret has used mobile billboards to promote an appearance by model and “Project Runway” host Heidi Klum, while Spirit Airlines used trucks with go-go dancers to promote a fare sale.

There are many other possibilities as well, such as distributing branded condoms or ads on dollars bills and/or ultraviolet tattoos on dancers at strip clubs.

Markets

Sexy campaigns can be executed in any market.

How it is measured

These campaigns can be measured in many ways, depending on the medium. For example, street teams can count/estimate how many pedestrians walk by or how many samples they distribute. For a billboard campaign, there’s traffic data from TAB, the outdoor measurement service.

What product categories do well

Recent OOH advertisers relying on sex to sell include beer/liquor, contraceptives, retail, energy drinks, travel/airlines and telecom.

Demographics

As with so many forms of out of home advertising, sexy campaigns invite targeting of specific demographics based on location.

For example, a campaign might be aimed at college students on or near campuses, sports fans outside of stadiums or professionals in downtown business districts.

Making the buy

Lead time is along the same general guidelines as any other form of OOH advertising, typically three to four weeks on average.

Pricing varies based on the medium used. The cost of a street team campaign can run into the thousands depending on factors such as the size and number of teams and locations.

Who’s already using sexy campaigns

Recent or current advertisers who have used sexy OOH campaigns include Spirit Airlines, DirecTV, Heineken, Victoria’s Secret, Rockstar Energy Drink and Trojan.

What they’re saying

“I think this works best for advertisers who really want to stand out in a crowded marketplace and aren’t afraid of every little complaint or critique in social media. There’s always going to be a few people who take offense at even the smallest things. So this can work in just about every category for brands which are willing to go outside the box and garner a lot of attention in a fun way.” — Alan Wolan, founder and chief executive officer at GoGorilla Media

Tags: OOH, ooh advertising, ooh sexy, sex appeal, sex sells, sexy ooh