Why Big Stars Take It All Off in Ads

By Jo Piazza Posted Mar 11th 2011 03:00PM

Advertising trends come and go, but one of the staples of the medium has long been using sex and nudity to sell otherwise non-sexual products like lipstick, clothes and cars. Recently we're seeing more and more skin from bigger name stars than ever before. Case in point, Megan Fox for Armani, Natalie Portman for Dior and most recently Kate Winslet for Lancome.

Fox News did a great story last year about all the nudity in product and cause advertising. But the celebs in their story were of the ranks of aging supermodel Helena Christensen, model Joanna Krupa and Kim Kardashian, who everyone expects to be in various states of undress most of the time.

Those women weren't Academy Award-winning actresses.

So what gives? Matt Britton, the CEO of social marketing agency Mr. Youth, has a pretty good theory related to the supply and demand of celebs (one of Celebenomics' favorite topics).

"The barriers to entry for being a celebrity have changed. Five years ago you had to be on TV and now celebrities are born every day," Britton speculates. "So since the barrier has lowered in terms of being a celebrity, I think people who are the traditional celebrities feel like they need to do a little more to stand out more, and that's why we're seeing them appear nude in ads."

Megan Fox certainly does stand out amongst the pack of wannabe starlets all clawing their way to infamy in her racy ads for Armani. Taking off the Fox's clothes was definitely win-win for the retailer as they chase a younger audience. Her ad, though porny, does appeal to both men and women.

"Really, who wouldn't want to have a body like Megan Fox, and maybe by buying the Armani underwear, you somehow buy into that," says Claudia Caplan the chief marketing officer of independent ad agency David & Goliath.

What some advertising folk take issue with in the recent spate of celebrity nudity isn't the bare skin, it's the lack of imagination in the ads. Take a look at the Fox, Winslet and Portman ads a second time and you'll see there isn't much to them except some savory skin and a hint of side boob.

"I don't have a problem with it as a person, or a person who makes ads, unless it demeans human beings or masquerades as the 'idea.' In other words, a beautiful, less-than-fully-clothed woman is not an idea. And neither is a celebrity," says Josh Rogers, the executive creative director for the integrated communications company Imagination. "All three of these ads are guilty of that. Much more so than for the gimmickry of the 'nudity,' since no one's actually naked."

What if a naked celebrity thought they were Darth Vader or tempted an anxiety-ridden cat with Doritos. That would be a gimmick we could get behind. But for now we have pretty Oscar winners and Megan Fox, in soft lighting and soothing music tempting us to buy clothes, perfume and lipstick with just their skin.

We expect the trend to continue as more famous people wear less and less clothes. As long as they keep the knickers on Ricky Gervais, there doesn't seem to be a danger to it, just a lack of creativity.

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Comments

(11)

Friday 11 March

By Andy

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The camera has a majical power that just makes clothing fall off.

By damien

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Its called CASH!!!

Saturday 12 March

By Shawn Guse

lololol

By Enough Already

The answer is quite simple, to make a dollar - and in their case a lot of money. They don't mind bashing the capitalist system, yet they don't mind it when it adds to their bank account.

By gobluespartyon

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You're dead wrong and claims are lies and baseless as well.

By mem

Money and fake news articles like this:)

This isn't a fake article or news as you have claim Mem which is a lie. And if you think this is fake news then don't click ET headline that easy. you're loser that needs to get a life.

By joe

Their mommys are not around to dress them and their clothes fall off.

Sex sells and I think it is great that big stars want to bare all I have no problem with that.

Sunday 13 March

By Ted

Natalie Portman should get naked more often. Yummm

By kaden

HOLLYWOOD THEY DONT PAY THERE TAX'S AND OBAMA IS NOT GOING AFTER THEM UNLESS WE EXPOSE THEM, THEY HATE DONALD TRUMP BECAUSE HE WILL MAKE THEM PAY THERE FAIR SHARE, HOLLYWOOD IS PRO ARAB ONLY BECAUSE THEY FINANCE THERE MOVIES, DID U SEE THE LIST OF WHO ENTERTAINED KADAFI OF LIBIA HOLLYWOOD

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