Sex is used to sell everything. Why single diamonds out. It is not
a reflection on the desirability or attractiveness of diamonds how
it is portrayed in advertising.. By the logic displayed on this
subject, don't have sex so no one can interpret your behavior as a
result of you being influenced by the media.
Thank you, Richard. But, to me, it’s even stranger than that. Most
of the things the media uses sex to sell have nothing to do with sex,
except in our crazy culture. But jewelry has almost always had
something to do with sex.
So why don’t we start another thread? When you make jewelry, or wear
it, is Eros part of the impulse behind it? Always? Sometimes? Never?
As you might guess from the name of my “company,” I make jewelry
with sex on my mind. Archaic sex! Temple priestess sex! Jewelry
intended to seduce! Jewelry intended to make the wearer feel like a
Sex Goddess!
And why not?
Lisa Orlando
Aphrodite’s Ornaments
By the wine dark sea…
PS: I also admit to getting a kick out of some of the diamond ads.
My favorite was “Thank you, Bob.” Thank You, God!" Now that took a
little nerve, given that a lot of people in this country re-elected a
born-again president…
But jewelry has almost always had something to do with sex.
lisa -
chatting with a friend at one winter park sidewalk art show i
commented that it seemed that when couples approached a jeweler’s
booth the females would get very ‘chummy’ with the males. after we
checked out a nearby jeweler’s inventory a few minutes later i shook
my head and said, “sorry sweetie, there was nothing there worth me
even patting you on the shoulder.”
considering how much is given away & the possible repercussions
perhaps the american marketeers are offering the only truly ‘safe
sex’. ive
who is still mystified that a whole generation of female singers
can’t sing with their clothes on - but then them most can’t sing with
them off either.
This discussion is fascinating to me. The psychology of sales is a
subject I will want to read about, is there any books on the subject
any one has read that they would recommend? I expected to see much
more traffic on this thread since it had sex in the title, I read
it…
<snip> is there any books on the subject any one has read that they
would recommend? <snip>
I don’t know books, but I have read about a research here in the
Netherlands about the differences between male and female looking at
advertisements. It sais that for man it is just about the attractive
picture, doesn’t matter what: a car can sell with all (the more the
better!) of the beautifull woman and just a part of the car, the
feeling is the message. For women it shouldn’t work like that. Give
a picture with a beautifull man and a bit of a car and the woman
should be wanting to see more from the car, because thats what it is
about. And when it is not clear what the advertisement is about
because it is just selling a feeling like sex, women should loose
interest, they want the about the jewellry or whatever
the advertisement is about.
When this is true (it is for me) I should think the combination sex
and jewellry is for male buyers, promising them what they can get
when they give jewellry to their beloved.
But female will be pushed away for two reasons: they don’t react on
that kind of advertisement and (for me again) they are not for sale,
sex is fun but in a too complex way to come only with one gift. but
well, not all women are the same I guess, and neither are male men
(how can I describe multiple man without giving the idea that I want
to point to all humanity? please, native-english speakers, help me
with this please).
Could an advertisement like this and up in women don’t liking to get
jewellry anymore? Or is the gift too much wanted to refuse?
For me, it’s more about sensuality than sex, per se. While Eros has
a part in sensuality, the definition is actually much broader.
For me, a successful piece of jewelry or sculpture must beg to be
touched and interacted with in a very visceral way. In some cases,
it’s the piece that says “pick me up” (you know… the one that
everyone who passes by your booth wants to pick up and touch?) and,
ideally, wear me!
The pieces I most enjoy making are the ones that have these design
qualities –
* a sinuousness, with organically inspired shapes and forms.
* things that contour to human curves or are inspired by or
accentuate them.
* textures that invite tactile encounters
* materials that warm to the human skin they are worn next to
I think that’s one reason that I seldom use human-crafted materials
(acrylic, cement, etc.) – they just don’t involve the same organic
tactile-ness that natural metals, woods, and stone have inherently.
I’ve never been much for designing pieces that are self-consciously
“great art” in the sense of “art school projects” – the pieces that
we see each year as a new crop of neo-graduates struggles to find
their artistic voices. Too many of those pieces have lost touch
with the rough, earthy, sensual, and ultimately instinctual
interplay between the wearer and the worn that is the hallmark of a
truly great piece of jewelry.
Too many of those pieces have lost touch with the rough,
earthy, sensual, and ultimately instinctual interplay between the
wearer and the worn that is the hallmark of a truly great piece of
jewelry.
Know what I mean??
Yes Karen, absolutely. Your post, itself, has the sensuality that is
lacking in jewelry and jewelry advertising. It speaks to the exact
point that the diamond industry’s ad campaigns are rude and
offensive to so many. Your post made me feel as though jewelry could
indeed represent something sensual, and even sexual, without being
base or crude (such as the ad that promises a “trade” value that
can’t be printed on the poster). De Beers should recruit and pay you
well.
Since we are on the subject, for those of you who receive Instore
magazine, what about the April cover? My wife did not like it, and my
employee did not know what the picture has to do with jewelry.