Pose the Nudes at a Distance

Naked models in ads draw attention. As marketers, we’d like to direct that attention toward the ad message rather than undercut the message because of audience objections to the nudity. Study findings from Paris School of Business and Athens University of Economics and Business help here.
     In one experiment, the researchers asked 435 U.S.-based adults to express reactions to a perfume ad which carried the slogan “Made to excite,” and included a photo of a male model and a female model with arms around each other. In a first version of the ad, the models were fully clothed; in a second version, the two were partially clad; and in a third, the man was nude from the waist up and the woman’s breasts were visible.
     Prior to answering questions about the ad, some of the participants were asked to imagine engaging in a set of tasks, such as reading a book, tomorrow, while the others were asked to imagine engaging in those activities a year in the future.
     Among those shown the ad with the nude models, the group asked to assume the far future frame of mind expressed higher purchase intentions for the perfume, overall, than did those asked to assume the near future frame of mind. They also had lower ethical objections to the ad. These differences were less for those shown the other two versions of the ad. An explanation resides in “psychological distance,” which is higher when a consumer: 

• Selects an item for use in the future rather than now 
• Believes they’ll need to travel a longer way to obtain the item 
• Selects an item for use by someone else rather than themselves 
• Considers returning or exchanging an item purchased by someone else rather than by themselves.

     When there’s higher psychological distance, the consumer places relatively more importance on objectivity than on feelings. Emotional reactions to an item and to marketing of an item are less intense. According to studies at University of Colorado-Boulder, University of Oviedo in Spain, and Lieberman Research Worldwide, this is true for highly positive emotions—such as the thrill in having the item—and for highly negative emotions—such as anger at flawed product performance.
     Taken together, this suggests that introducing temporal distance into an ad featuring naked models—such as proposing purchase of the item in the future rather than right now—would help maintain the intended sales stimulation.

Successfully influence the most prosperous & most loyal consumer age group. For the specific strategies & tactics you need, click here.

Click for more…

Drive the Psychological Distance 

Mobilize Your In-Store Erotic Capital 

Strip Out the Benefits of Customer Costumes 

Abandon Naked Abs for Influential Ads