The evolution of sex imagery in French advertising

Résumé du document

The term “Chic Porn” is sometimes seen differently by the customers. On one hand, it reveals something that the customer rejects and on the other hand something exciting. It is very interesting to analyze the use of sex imagery in advertising and its evolution. The sex images in advertising were supposed to surprise, to shock and to draw the attention of the customers, and that is what they have done. The prospects who didn't accept these adverts were sometimes not the main target of these brands. The “Porno Chic” is essentially used by luxury brands with the association of “smart” with the sensuality of the body. The examples chosen are about sexuality, sensuality, desire, aggression… those subjects that excite people to look even more. The first objective of this report will be to cover and understand what the strategy called “Chic Porn” is through descriptions, illustrations and analysis. It is also important to define the aims of this marketing strategy used even more in the last few years in the French advertising industry.

Extraits

[...] The Chic Porn likes to convey a degrading image, either the man or the woman. One of the well-known French luxury brands, Louis Vuitton, creates an advertising campaign concentrated on this domination of the woman. The model, Jennifer Lopez, look smart, she is very self-confident and uses man as an object : a support, a carrier. Source : www.bellalopez.com/jlo-louisvuittonad.htm. However, if these settings in scene make smiles now, it can be wondered that this will irritate the customers later. Consequently, they will naturally turn away from these brands. [...]

[...] The homosexuality was a taboo during a long period in France. Nowadays there is a democratization of the gay population. Even if it is still a taboo of the French society, homosexual images even more used in advertising, for the same goals as the different types Chic Porn, that is to say: draw the attention, attract a different and specific target of customers. Source : http://marked.dp.ua/ Since 2000, marked by the sulphurous launching of the communication campaign of DIOR showing two intertwined women, the representations of couples of women are systematically associated to the discussed tendency of the "smart porn". [...]

[...] These representations act on the jamming of the sexuality codes. It is also linked to the taboos of the population, which are sometimes too much present in the actual society. If the advertising executives authorize themselves to put in scene a couple of homosexuals, it is because they know very well French people integrated this phenomenon. As an Example, the IPSOS survey (2006) shows that 70% of the French population find normal that the homosexuals who live together must have the same rights including tax. [...]

[...] Source : http://www.ma-collection-de-pubs.com/gucci_fashion_index.html Jean-Paul Gaultier, in its turn, used in his advert all the stereotypes associated to the woman: the whiteness of a headstock, chains related to sadomasochism, nudity This advert represents the beauty of the woman's body but it also underlines it submission. The red colour of her shoes and her lipstick represents something that Customers can fear, a violent image. B. The object”. Chic Porn is always related to the discrediting of the image of woman, but man is also a new victim of that phenomenon. Indeed, the revolution is moving. In the advertising world, the body of the male was until now little exploited, except some campaigns for fragrance and other products close to the body. [...]

[...] The large brands of luxury recovered these subversive codes to attract younger customers. Meanwhile they largely contribute to exacerbate a phenomenon of innovation. Then there is a Western passion for the fashion of the antipodes: clothing but also markings of the body by tattoo, the piercing, and diverted and reinvented ethnic practices. This exoticism is from now on a mode of transgressions of the taboos: gay community in search of new signs and recognitions, end of century dandies exposing piercing, scarification and tattoos, like contemporary artists setting up their body and metamorphoses to the rank of performance. [...]