Use of Sex Appeal in Automobile Advertising

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The gap between female and male gender clichés has been glaringly obvious since the beginning of industrialization. In proximity with the modern era, automobile advertising has hardly shifted its crosshairs from its most original and sought-after target: men. Even from the moment they arrive into the world, infant boys are blanketed with blue, sent home, and decorated with a variety of masculine clothes, toy cars, and other testosterone-suggestive items. Although seemingly sexist, this argument is concrete in its validity. When Karl Benz designed the first practical car with an internal combustion engine in 1885, automobiles were loosely deemed “the toys for the boys”. During Benz’s time, automobiles were considered only a gentleman’s luxury, they were to be driven by men who could afford them. Women, at the time, had unfortunately fallen victim to the assumption, by men, that handling an automobile was beyond their physical capabilities. Once cheap automobiles could be produced in the 1920’s and thus advertised, it came as no surprise that almost every single advertisement targeted men. With that said, early advertisements hinted at subtle, masculine features of an automobile, such as the sheer power of the automobile or a man catching the eye of female onlookers. The use of women in commercials evolved, and showgirls and models in advertising became ubiquitous. Automobile advertising campaigns of the past and present were and still are designed to ignite the inner “roar” of men, to stimulate masculinity, and to present women with the idealistic satisfaction of a capable man to drive their vehicles. From infancy to old age, cars have revved the engine of the ideal American man and woman by employing sex appeal as the primary ...

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...he 1950’s. From showroom models on television game shows to car-less ads with breathtaking models, the use and potency of sex appeal as powerful marketing weapon has only elevated since its inception. Although most automobile advertisements employing sex appeal as their primary marketing tool use young females, men are and can also be integral components of the sex appeal device. Until our society crumbles or our culture finds a way to abolish sexuality entirely (hem, like that’s likely) sex appeal will remain the most powerful marketing device applied to advertisements for automobiles.

Works Cited:

Ferrari Motors. Advertisement. www.ferrari.com Dec. 2005: online,

Dodge 1969 Charger. Advertisement. www.roadragegraphics.com Apr. 2001: online.

B.M.W.: Used cars. Advertisement. http://blog.easyautosales.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/bmw-ad.jpg Aug. 2008: online

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