My former colleague Randy White is an activist in the Peak Oil movement. On his Lawns to Gardens Blog he’s posted a split-screen video.

On the right side, a very attractive young woman, dressed for extremely warm weather, does a dance that would melt a glacier. On the left side, the same woman (I think), in much more subdued clothing, gives her views on what’s going to happen when all the oil runs out.

In addition to being an ironic commentary on the advertising business, it illustrates the attractions and pitfalls of using sex to sell:

1. I watched the video from beginning to end — nearly four minutes in all. This would not have happened in the absence of the hot dancing chick.

2. On the other hand, the speaker’s message did not register with me at all. I was too busy watching the hot dancing chick. 

We’ve all seen TV commercials that made us laugh, only to realize later that we can’t remember what the ad was for. Sex, like humor, can be an effective way of holding your prospect’s attention long enough to deliver the sales message. In order for the sales message register with the prospect, the sex or humor needs to be integrated into the pitch. Without that integration, your prospect won’t remember what you are trying to say.