Maybe sex doesn’t sell
COMMERCIAL? What commercial?
Television viewers tend to have a poor memory for ads that appear on sex-laced TV shows. At least that’s what a new report from University College London suggests.
In a study of 60 students, ages 18 to 31, participants viewed one of the following: an episode of “Sex and the City,” with sexy advertisements; the same episode with nonsexual ads; a G-rated episode of “Malcolm in the Middle” with sexy ads; and the same “Malcolm” with non-sexual ads.
Participants who watched “Sex and the City” remembered significantly less of the commercials than those who watched “Malcolm in the Middle,” regardless of the content of the commercial.
The implication for advertisers is obvious, says lead investigator and psychology professor Adrian Furnham, in an e-mail. “Sex does not sell. It may be unwise to try to sell your product either with an explicitly sexy ad or in a sexy program.”
“I don’t think these results are surprising,” adds UCLA clinical psychologist and sex therapist Gail Wyatt. “ ‘Sex and the City’ is constant sex -- Sex 101 -- so of course when you get to the commercial your tongue is hanging out. You’re exhausted and tired of too much sex.”
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
