AdPorn
Take a quick look at this picture.
What does it represent? What it meant to be?
It is quite clear that it is using visual imagery that is very close to the visual imagery found in pornographic images.
Was the choice of imagery deliberate - or was it an accident foisted on the company by some over-zealous advertising type?
If there was any doubt about the intentional use of this type of iimagery - the slogan "lick it up" gives it all away. Of course as this is branding for a well known make of cigarette papers - the makers could argue that "lick it up" refers to the papers themselves. Yeah right ....
For a long time now the idea that "sex sells" has been popular in advertising and marketing - but this type of imagery goes far beyond the scantily clad models that drape themselves over cars and boats - or even the pneumatic types used to sell video games.
As we get more and more saturated with sexual imagery of this nature - used only to sell products and produce "branding" what are the pornographers going to do to keep up? Eventually we shall all be so used to pornographic imagery that nothing will shock and the branding excercise will be futile.
What then - go back to using fluffy kittens, puppies and vases of flowers to brand products - like choclate boxes in the 50's?
Tags: pornography, advertising, branding, adporn