Today’s top story here in Seattle is about scantily clad baristas serving your latte with more than just whip cream on top. The ethics of using sex to sell are debatable but the results are not. The NYTimes reported on this trend in the real estate industry last July. Here’s the link but the site will ask you to register for free with an email address.
You can look at this story from many perspectives which are keeping our local talk radio show hosts busy. My perspective is as follows. First, to those who critique the business owners for using sex to sell, business owners have been doing this for decades. Why else do title and escrow companies continue to put hottie women in the field with no knowledge of title and escrow? Second, leave the lingerie dressed women there for at least a few more days, so I can drive through with my two daughters and show them the type of job they can look forward to if they decide to skip college. Third, I’m hoping another espresso business owner decides to go after the opposite market. Staff it with Ashton or Brad Pitt look-a-like, shirtless, hotties and I will bet that you’ll triple your profits….from both women AND men customers. If the final product is bad, coffee addicted folks here will not give these businesses more than a few weeks of fleeting fame.
In the spirit of satire, let’s see how this concept plays out in our industry. The following youtube videos are rated PG13. Enjoy.
“…leave the lingerie dressed women there for at least a few more days, so I can drive through with my two daughters and show them the type of job they can look forward to if they decide to skip college.”
I’m afraid this would backfire with my 14 year old son!
I wrote an article in an agent forum with an idea for a high rise condo ad featuring Mae West saying “Hey big boy, why don’t you stop on up and see me sometime?” Selling single family homes has it’s “curb appeal”, but bringing something up on the 24th floor to the public’s attention, may take something a little more creative.
Have to say, the agents didn’t seem to go for it though. Only two comments.
Hi Rhonda,
Which is why we need parity in our barista exploitation here in the Northwest! 🙂 What would it be like for your son to be taken to a place where the men are serving coffee with their shirts off?
Well, I suppose it’s not that difficult to find out. Any of the testosterone action flicks usually have the male stars flaunting a great build with tight shirts.
Did you see the NYTimes article? There’s a huge billboard advertising a condo project with a half-naked male model wrapped in a towel used to market the project with the tagline “Triple Mint, New to the Market.”
I think “no people in the mls photos” rule should be changed. Why not show the home with a big party. If it’s OK to say “great for entertaining”, why not a photo of when the WERE entertaining guests?
I had one with the family playing in the snow at the house. MLS popped it out and sent me an email saying “no people” in photos. The dog got to stay though, for some reason.
I think there might be a privacy rule about not using someone’s likeness to sell something, without their written permission.
There is a concern for both photographs being shown without the individual’s permission unless you’re going to start getting releases but more importantly there is also the aspect of fair housing.
Well, the time I used it, the people were the owners and not only did I have their permission…they gave me the photo to put in.
My son wants a morning latte now…Tukwila is not on the way to his school.
The ARM commercial is silly funny, in a kitsch-y sort of way.
The Andre Agassi look alike, the obvious sex-ploitation, and the tag at the end from the one-armed guy at the end. That commercial reminded me of Crazy Eddie’s warehouse in New Jersey in the 1980s. Maybe Ardell will remember those commercials. I have no problem with the commercial…EXCEPT?
Did you really see the message as the “doctor” put all of those things into the Agassi-look alike on the operating table? Low payments, improved credit, “skip” two payments, all of the huckster-like chracteristics our industry needs to eliminate.
I loved the medium, hated the message.