A recent study’s findings sum up the impact of sex appeals: Yes, they get noticed and remembered—but many viewers don’t recall what the ad was plugging! And, males do like provocative messages more than females, but this doesn’t translate into stronger brand attitudes. Another study looked specifically at the issue of whether sexy ads increase desire for romantic products. According to human evolutionary theory, men tend to be primed to take advantage of sexual opportunities whenever they are reasonably available, as relationships with multiple partners maximizes the likelihood that their genes will be passed on. Therefore, the researchers reasoned, they should dislike objects that don’t help them to achieve this goal. Sure enough, when male subjects saw highly sexual ads, they reported less interest in joining the long-term dating site eHarmony.com or buying jewelry from Kay Jewelers. This diminished interest did not occur for female subjects. What’s your position on the use of sex in advertising? Should brands “engage” viewers with titillating imagery?