Sex-in-advertising: a policy-setting taxonomy

Discussion about the appropriateness or otherwise of sex in advertising is wide ranging and recurrent. ‘Sex’ in advertising has been the subject of extensive research and debate which has often been conducted on flawed conceptual foundations. We argue that this is due to a lack of shared understanding of ‘sex’ as it relates to advertising. By examining the various ways in which ‘sex’ and related terms have been used in the past, and grounded in accepted cultural usage, this research develops a taxonomy of sex within the advertising domain. This taxonomy clarifies meaning and provides a framework as a basis for future research. It also provides a decision making framework for debates about what is and is not an appropriate reference to sex in advertising.