ella kroch design.

Design and the Ideology of Perfection

Sexuality is one of the most powerful tools used in marketing, advertising and design today. Humans are naturally curious about sexuality and for this reason, sex sells. Historically, attractive people, typically women have been used to prompt consumerism in society. The sexualisation of men and women in advertising is the catalyst for the current day ideals of the ‘perfect’ body, which instills somewhat false ideas into the minds of the pubic.

The use of sex in advertising and design does not only sell a product or attract attention, but also promotes several values and attitudes concerning sex. Designs using sex, often objectify women, suggesting that they come with a product, or that through use of a product the user will become more attractive and ‘sexy’ to the opposite sex. Sex is present in a wide range of promotional material and this abundance leads to the idea that perfect appearance is normal and achievable. This prompts both men and women to feel negatively about themselves, when in fact, the perfect models they are exposed to on a daily basis have been airbrushed and modified to be unnaturally flawless. Sex is not only used to sell appearance related products such as clothing, cosmetics and fragrances (Calvin Klein advertisement pictured above), but also also for products not traditionally affiliated with sex (Vacuum Cleaner advertisement pictured above).

This over-sexualisation of men and women in order to gain the attention of the public and ultimately sell, links to the current day ideology of perfection. As media puts more pressure on the individual to be sexy and attractive, people are becoming increasingly obsessed with body image. This idea of perfection is not only limited to appearance and sex but also with consumerism in general, with the materialistic idea that buying and owning new products brings happiness and fulfilment.