The effect of Victoria's Secret's advertising on couples' communication dynamics

Abstract

Advertising is designed to draw attention and pique interest in a product or service. This study is an exploration of the impact of sexualized advertising on male/female interactions, specifically, couples noticing the window posters outside of a Victoria's Secret retail store in Wichita, Kansas. 19 couples were observed walking by the posters during a two-hour period. Detailed notes about the couples' reactions to the images were recorded and condensed into themes. Three themes emerged from the observation: Breaks in conversation, changes in non-verbal and verbal communication, and distraction from one another. Almost all of the couples stopped talking while walking by the images, and resumed conversation after passing by them. Many had quick verbal and non-verbal responses, and many became distracted from one another. It became clear that the closeness and interpersonal dynamics of the couples, as one of them (or both) noticed the images, momentarily changed.