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A brave new world: embracing sexuality in advertising for apparel

Elika Kordrostami (Department of Marketing & Business Information System, Rohrer College of Business, Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey, USA)
Melika Kordrostami (Department of Marketing, Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration, California State University-San Bernardino, San Bernardino, California, USA)

Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management

ISSN: 1361-2026

Article publication date: 18 June 2020

Issue publication date: 19 February 2021

1677

Abstract

Purpose

In light of the recent shift in the US culture, this paper investigates the effectiveness of female sexual empowerment as ad appeal in the apparel industry.

Design/methodology/approach

Study 1 aimed to understand consumers' reactions to female sexual empowerment in ads in terms of their attitudes toward the ad, attitudes toward the brand and purchase intention. Study 2 investigated the role of gender in perceptions of female sexual empowerment in ads.

Findings

This research establishes that consumers display positive attitudes toward female sexual empowerment in the apparel advertisement. These attitudes positively influence attitudes toward the brand, which in turn improve purchase intention. These effects are stronger for women than men.

Research limitations/implications

This research borrows from social power theory to reveal the impact of female sexual empowerment in ads in the apparel industry. Based on the theory of planned behavior, the findings also show that female sexual empowerment can have a positive impact on purchase intention through a serial mediation of attitude toward the ad and brand.

Practical implications

Marketers need to be aware of the impact of female sexual empowerment as ad appeal. Specifically, firms in the apparel industry could benefit from the positive effects of incorporating female sexual empowerment in their campaigns.

Originality/value

This research is the first to investigate the role of female sexual empowerment as ad appeal in improving consumers' responses to ads.

Keywords

Citation

Kordrostami, E. and Kordrostami, M. (2021), "A brave new world: embracing sexuality in advertising for apparel", Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, Vol. 25 No. 1, pp. 99-116. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-08-2019-0183

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited

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