Hot Girls and Marketing: Now with 101% More Video (Courtesy of Reebok)
So we’ve touched on the old phrase “Sex Sells” a few times here on wwwwY. A company who you wouldn’t think of as sexy employed this technique in a new commercial this weekend. Reebok came out with a new commercial for their new Easy Tone Shoes. These shoes are supposed to tone your lower body more than regular shoes. They employed a attractive, in-shape, young female with some “interpretive” camerawork to get their message across.
Now this commercial doesn’t garner a full mY Ad Report Card but lets point out something after watching this. Who is this commercial targeting? By targeting, I mean; who can’t take their eyes off the TV and are drooling for 30 seconds straight while watching this commercial?
A: Men
But, what is the commercial selling
A: Women’s shoes
Any interesting messaging strategy used by Reebok. There are 3 ways how you could rationalize this strategy:
- They made it for men to buy the shoes for the women in their lives
- They made it for women in an “aspirational” tone
- They just wanted to raise general awareness and decided pushing the envelope to start discussion.
Not quite sure which one they actually used, but my guess it’s a combo of lots of #3 and a little of #1. They probably hope that the waves that the commercial will make will boost sales (plus if they used #2, Reebook would probably be burned to the ground).
Post in the comments what you thought of the commerical, and what you think their strategy was.
Excuse me when I go buy some shoes.
Todd, men don’t buy women shoes… (except for that one time, but we agreed not to talk about it.)
Yea better to let that lay low… Haha
It is not surprising that such a commercial exists. It is surprising to me that there could be any doubt as to whom the commercial is targeting. You said it yourself: what are they selling? Women’s shoes. Women’s exercise shoes, to be exact. Nothing a man would buy for a woman. The target audience is women, clear and simple. Open any women’s magazine and it will be immediately obvious that ads constantly assault women, trying to sell them sex appeal along with the idea that sex appeal is what they need to be happy. Not sex. Not a toned body. But a butt for the people around to reduce them to.
I agree and understand what you are saying. But, don’t you think that Reebok is using a very dangerous tactic is promoting their product like that. Yes sex sells, but there is a fine line between showing sexuality and exploiting women. I think a lot of women are irked by this campaign; but at the same time, lot’s of people are talking about it as well.