Edward Bernays and Sexuality in Marketing

Edward Bernays is one of the founders of modern PR and advertising methods. He had a significant impact on the development of marketing in the 20th century. His contribution to popularizing the idea of using sexuality in marketing communications was very significant.

In this article, we will outline the main aspects of Bernays ' influence on the use of sexuality in advertising and PR campaigns.

Edward Bernays and the Use of Psychoanalysis

Bernays was the nephew of the famous psychologist Sigmund Freud and actively applied the ideas of psychoanalysis in his work. He understood that human desires and fears are deeply rooted in the subconscious. He was able to use this knowledge to promote products and ideas. One way was to attract attention through sexual images and subtexts. This made it possible to stimulate the audience's interest.

So, Bernays was one of the first to promote the image of a successful business man. One example was a campaign to promote costumes and accessories, where the emphasis was on masculinity and confidence. Sexuality played an important role in creating these images, emphasizing the link between success and attractiveness.

Creating new needs

In one of his books Propaganda (1928), Bernays argued that successful marketing must create new needs among consumers by exploiting ulterior motives. Sexuality was one of those motivations, because it appeals to people's basic instincts. This helped attract the attention of customers and form associations between the product and the satisfaction of deep desires.

Edward Bernays formed a cult of movie stars

Based on the previous aspect, the following should be noted. It is to Bernays that we owe the active involvement of film industry stars to promote luxury brands. For example, he collaborated with Hollywood actresses to create associations between certain brands and glamorous life. These campaigns often included elements of sexuality, highlighting the attractiveness and lifestyle of celebrities.

Women's emancipation and cigarette advertising

One of the most famous examples of using sexuality in marketing is Bernays ' campaign to promote smoking among women. In 1929, he organized the action "Solemn March of Freedom". It consisted in the fact that women demonstratively smoked cigarettes on the streets of New York. These cigarettes were presented as "torches of freedom", symbolizing emancipation and independence. This campaign helped to change the attitude of society towards women's smoking, making it socially acceptable and even attractive.

Emotional approach to consumers

Bernays realized that advertising should evoke emotions, not just inform. The use of sexuality allowed us to strengthen the emotional connection of the product with customers, creating a sense of prestige, confidence or attractiveness. This has become an important part of the strategy of many advertising campaigns in the following decades.

Effects

Thanks to Bernays ' work, the use of sexuality in marketing has become a widespread practice. However, it has also generated criticism and debate about the moral side of such advertising. Some felt that overexploitation of sexuality reduced the value of the product and created false expectations among consumers. However, his methods continue to influence modern advertising, especially in the fashion, cosmetics, and automotive industries.

Thus, Edward Bernays played a key role in shaping the modern approach to PR and advertising, including the use of sexuality as a powerful tool for influencing the minds of consumers.