When Sex Shouldn’t Sell: Taking Corporate Responsibility in Marketing

When Sex Shouldn’t Sell: Taking Corporate Responsibility in Marketing

You may have heard about (or seen) Hardee’s commercials featuring a strip-teasing teacher, Paris Hilton washing a car, or a woman putting her fist in her mouth and wondered exactly what the burger chain was selling. The company has been getting a lot of flack for its “sex sells” campaigns, and I have to agree with the critics. While, yes, as a marketer, I understand that sex is used all the time to sell products, I have to draw the line at the innuendo that a teacher being ogled by her students presents. Sure, it was a spoof. I could almost laugh at it. But for the fact that degrades women (essentially comparing them to a slab of beef) and gives young men and women a skewed idea of what marketing should be.

And come on, who really believes Paris washes her own car or eats greasy burgers?

I almost don’t want to write about Hardee’s commercials, because doing so just draws more attention to them, which is what they want. Good or bad, they’re getting the kind of publicity that money can’t buy. News stations all over the country are discussing the outrage felt by teachers (and women in general). So will Hardee’s employees be bored as a result? Hardly. I’m willing to bet their sales go up anyway.

But this brings up the issue of corporate responsibility. Farce or not, does Hardee’s really want to be portrayed as a misogynistic, sexist entity just to sell a few burgers? When I wrote about Intel’s marketing goofup the company clearly realized it had crossed a line. Why is it easier to determine that boundary with race but not with sex?

I realize the world isn’t about to stop because I’m a soft feminist. Scantily clad women will continue to sell watches, cars, and yes, burgers. All I’m asking is for ad execs to think about the damage this is doing to both men and women. Men, buying that burger will NOT make sexy women cling to you. Women, your worth is not determined by whether you can fit your fist in your mouth.

Society is filled with enough mini-Britneys, age seven. Let’s not clone more. I sure am glad I have a son.
-Susan
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