Sex May Sell, But It Has Nothing to Do with the Making of a Great Party!
January 4, 2010 in Articles by Latinos A Morir
What do people look for in a social event?
- Energy
- Good Music
- Good Venue
- Sexy People?
How do you portray these qualities via emails, flyers, word of mouth, etc.?
I have been dealing with these questions since LAM started and I recently had a conversation with a friend which sparked my interest even more. It has been my belief that objectifying women on advertisements creates an image that most people hate yet accept and sometimes … enjoy. Sex sells, but I don’t believe it has anything to do with the making of a great party.
I have observed and spoken with various event organizers in San Francisco and all have agreed that sex sells … and it sells big. I understand that portraying an angle of sexiness is sometimes necessary to entice people to attend an event, but I wonder if attendees think of the sexiness angle in a conscious or subconscious manner. Everyone likes to feel they’re part of an elite group of sexy people but I am an extreme believer that this does not make a party any good without positive energy, ambiance, and good music.
I have been very careful to not use extreme sex symbols in LAM’s advertising except for women’s lips (which I still have a difficult time with). From day one, Latinos A Morir wanted to be a social network of energetic, friendly people … yet lately I had thought of incorporating “sexy” as a selling point and making it part of LAM’s brand strategy. Hence, I write this note to make a statement that I will not be using sex as a selling point since, in my eyes, has nothing to do with a great party. Instead, I will focus on creating a brand that portrays beauty, elegance, and energy.
- Beauty refers to the qualities that give pleasure to the senses … the beauty of the Latin American culture, the music, its people, its languages
- Elegance refers to a refined quality of gracefulness and good taste … the elegance of the event themes, its venues, the dress code, the sponsors, and its people
- Energy refers to a positive vibe throughout peoples’ bodies and spirits … the energy to be alive and share it with everyone at the event
I write this post to ask you to help me stay true to my words and not give in to the easy side of marketing in the entertainment industry.
Until next event …
Title was borrowed and modified from the Ad of Sobieski Vodka.
thank you for being ever-mindful of this. Just this past weekend, I commented to a club’s management that I found a background video disrespectful, and it was just shadow dance full nudity, the kicker was you could see everything, plus the suggestive dancing. Weird that I thought Celia Cruz video with full-frontal was sort of ok, though. I’m sure it is a delicate balance, but let’s err on the side of respect. Thanks for being a worry-wart.
Very interesting concept. It seems to me that when people say sex sells, they mainly refer to women on the cover of an invitation. What about focusing on items and making them look sexy? Champagne glass, shoes, a cultural item (like the sugar skulls), etc…i think that our idea of sexy has been limited to only one gender. Remember beauty and sexiness is in the eye of the beholder…it is up to you how and what you make sexy
think it’s great you stick to the original ideas and focus on what has been working for you as far as your marketing plan. I’d like to add when including an air of sexiness to the fliers and invitations, it serves as a great advantage, since most people in reality are thrived by the images! It’s true that sexuality is all over the media, think of it as a secret weapon everyone is allowed to use, but not everyone knows how to use as well as LAM does!
your not selling sex- your simply promoting it in order to keep up with demand and keeping it grown and sexy! after all, must of us rather feel that way!
Keep up the good work LAM~
What a great way to think!!
I think it is really important that you keep doing and thinking that way Giovanni, sadly in most of places sex is use as a bomb to pull people as a flies to honey and the saddest part for me is that some people want to fit so bad on places and events or certain groups that set aside their true selves playing rolls to be cool. I think keeping real with who you are is really important and show a more honest and colorful part of yourself, no just the bright color but other shades too, because everyone had bright days and not so bright. Being in a state like California is a bless because you can interact with lots of different cultures, way to think and looks, it is like a beautiful tapete full of colors and shapes and that is a bless!!! Keep strong in this matter Giovanni , I think you are doing great!