It’s Raining Men… In Advertising

Beefcake with salad dressing on the side? Yes, please. Lately, there has been a surge of what Adweek is calling hunkvertising. Hunkvertising refers to the use of attractive men in numerous ad campaigns that focus almost solely on their physical appearance and charm.

Companies like Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing, Old Spice and Renzuit have had success using this abs-and-pecs strategy, but is there a downside to this direction?

Read on to weigh the pros and cons of man candy.

Pro Stud

The defense for objectifying men in advertising is pretty simple. It’s funny, and it’s harmless because no one takes it too seriously. And this can work in a brand’s favor when they want to be seen as friendly and funny. For example, a company like Renuzit, which featured their products next to gorgeous men paired with funny headlines, drew a lot of attention to a fairly bland category.

Which brings up the point that sex sells. For years, beer companies have had success using beautiful women to sell their products, and using beautiful men seems to garner the same results. Combine the fact that women are the primary target for many marketers with the 50 Shades of Grey phenomena, and enticing the ladies with a little skin becomes a no-brainer. The partially nude zesty man for Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing generated 2.5 million hits on YouTube.

Con Stud

You can’t please everyone, and hunkvertising is no exception. When you show nudity of any kind, you run the risk of drawing negative publicity to your brand. The group One Million Moms were up in Christian arms about the Zesty ads featuring the nearly naked man on a picnic blanket with only his croutons covered.

Others also argue that a stereotype is a stereotype, and it’s not smart to use female or male stereotypes in advertising. Studly Steve is an inaccurate portrayal of the consumer just as much as Paris Hilton eating a cheeseburger in a Hardee’s commercial is. But if you take a creative spin on the stereotype, like the Old Spice guy, you can find that sweet spot where women want him and men want to be him.

If you decide to venture into the hunky man pool of advertising, make sure you take a creative spin on the stereotype and find a smart way to connect it to your brand. Don’t show pecs for pecs’ sake. (Although I’m sure most women wouldn’t complain.)