Sex sells. Apparently, it is the only thing that sells in mainstream media. In order to pitch a product you must be good looking. If you are a female you also need to look like you work out 17 hrs a day with occasional breaks for wild sexual activity that might be available on the internet. This is a fact of life as much as consumerism is a fact of life. The question is why?
When I first tackled the question I figured this phenomenon was a function of our biological imperative. As a species our primary function is to reproduce. We exist to breed and to breed with the best of our species, so the sales process in a way mirrors this search for biological continuance. However, there is a second theory for the prominence of sex in sales.
I believe that sexual interaction is often more about power than biological continuance or survival. We buy items in order to prove our power to others or to ourselves. The purpose of a Maserati is not to have a reliable car, but to have a reliable car that people look at and say, ‘wow, look what that person has’. In terms of sex, having sex or having access to sexual partners who are generally accepted as being attractive is a way of gaining that ‘wow, look’ response we all subconsciously laud.
We laud people more than things. Having people who other people want is more important than having stuff. Now here is the purchase power connection: If a beautiful person is linked to a product, it raises the profile and value of the product because the consumer subconsciously believes possessing the product in some way links them to the valued person.