Do half naked models help you make audio decisions?

[JohnMichael]

I was on Facebook and there was an image shared by VPI. A young woman wearing lingerie sitting on the floor by a record player, surrounded by records and her legs are spread. It is a well done image but is it necessary to sell turntables?

We all like looking at images of attractive people. I know where to look for those pictures but I do not expect them in audio ads. VPI tables are attractive enough without spread eagled young models.

George Takei showed a picture of a turntable and asked if anyone remembers them. VPI responded with "Silly George Takei does he not know...." I thought it odd they would call him "silly".

I am not sure who is doing their Facebook posts but I question the taste. Let me know if you agree, do not care, or you like a little tittilation in the ads you read?

[recoveryone]

For something as old school as a turntable I would expect better. The most impressive add I ever like was the old Maxell tape ones with the guy sitting in the chair as the music played and his glass would slide backward untill he caught it. To me audio gear was more about the performace than the sex appeal. Lets take McinTosh gear, there is no way to make it sexy even if Beyonce was dancing next to it (had to throw that in since the halftime debate). But most of us believe in the end results of the product. It can make you look sexy (lifting it around all day), but thats not why we would buy it.

[JohnMichael]

Looks like they took it down due to several complaints.

[recoveryone]

I think, audio gear is one of the few things comsumers buy by the specs and not mostly about the look, and in some cases the more odd looking the better. Can we say Orb speakers?

[markw]

I haven't seen that one but half nekked women have been used to sell product since as long as i can remember. I particularly seem to recall car ads in the 60's but that may be because I was just becoming aware of both at that time.

George Takei's "pictures" show up occasionally on my facebook page and are generally a source of amusement for their poignancy, wit, and humor. To use these as fodder for the one you describe is tacky at best.

VI is seems to be stooping to levels to which I would hope no reputable manufacturer would ever sink

[dean_martin]

I say, "That's someone's daughter" and avert my eyes.

I read Playboy with my eyes closed.

[emaidel]

Using half naked models to sell products in this business is old news. The long-defunct cartridge/turntable/loudspeaker manufacturer, Empire, used to use scantily clad ladies at all its booths at trade shows as a come-on for buyers. While it certainly drew lots of men into the Empire booth, it had little effect on sales.

In the current DJ business, this practice continues - to the extreme - with a company called, "Gemini." Gemini makes a big splash at all of the trade shows by hiring a group of "models" to appear in its booth, none of whom are anything but models, but professionals of another sort. This method has actually worked for Gemini in getting a couple of dealers on board, but is intensely disliked by all other competitors in the industry.

[TheHills44060]

I used to stop by Hoffman Audio all the time because the receptionist was smoking hot and showed a lot of cleavage. I'd spend 5 minutes talking to the salesman about KLH 2.9s or Wireworld cables and 30 minutes talking to her about what time she was going to Club Trilogy later that night. I have no problem with it. She got me into the store and I almost bought some ML speakers. Sex sells and always will.

[JohnMichael]

I should clarify that this was not an ad featuring a VPI turntable. It was a vintage record player with a slightly different approach to posing.

[JohnMichael]

Now I should say it is a good photograph to begin an article about the vinyl resurgence in Playboy. As a glamour shot it is well done. Of course as a photo for a manufacturers photo on Facebook, not so much. Of course the main photo on their Facebook page is a young woman who looks like she is going to have oral sex with a tonearm.

[recoveryone]

I think a few of the comments have gone off track, for all trade shows use females to attract lookee loos. But in print ads for audio gear (not cars or many other products) the gear itself has been the main focus. I do not remember see any sexual ads in stereo review or most other audio mags. And Bose (being the most TV aired Brand) has not use sex to sale its products. Audio gear has mainly always been about the preformace (stated preformace) by the manufacture and its repertation over the years. So I beg to differ that sex sales in audio, unless you mean having a eargasm when listening to your favorite brand in a test room (miss those so much).

To prove my point I challegn anyone to post ads with sexy models by national brands that conviced you to buy that product.

[markw]

I should clarify that this was not an ad featuring a VPI turntable. It was a vintage record player with a slightly different approach to posing.That's somewhat better for them but it still shows a lack of vision on their part. Obviously, if they have any contact with the real world, they must know that awareness of turntables is way, way down from what it was years ago. Most younger people today have never seen a record (or record player) and many now don't even touch CD's any more.

IOW, What George did was no sillier than someone posting that picture of those metal drive-in speakers to make us old farts remember and the young 'uns wonder.

It was still tacky on VPI's part. ...and somewhat snobbish if you ask me.

[dean_martin]

I should clarify that this was not an ad featuring a VPI turntable. It was a vintage record player with a slightly different approach to posing.

That pic showed up on one of the "Vinyl pic of the day" posts over at AA.

[blackraven]

I like my models fully naked!

[StevenSurprenant]

Sure, if they' re hanging on my arm and part of the deal.

Seriously though, after a lifetime of being inundated with these images, I don't give them a second look and don't really care one way or the other. I don't feel offended in any way, but I do think it's a waste of ad space and detracts from what is being sold.

As a side note, I see many scantly clad women in movies and sex scenes that have nothing to do with the theme of the movie and I think it degrades the quality of the film.

For instance, I am a big fan of Stargate and Stargate Atlantis, but when Stargate Universe came along, I'd be watching the plot develop and all of a sudden the scene would change to two people having sex that had nothing to do with anything else. What the Frak? Needless to say, I couldn't watch SGU without pressing the fast forward button to skip over the non sequitur parts of the film. SGU was nothing like it predecessors, it was more of a mix of politics and sex rather than anything else.

As for the posted pictures, the one with the guy in the chair being blasted by the sound from the speaker is very cool. It makes me think that the sound is incredible. The other one with the girl on the floor with her legs apart makes me think that some guy is trying to do some serious listening and this girl is trying to distract him for personal reasons, hence ruining his listening enjoyment. Besides, I'd be freaking out thinking that she's going to scratch some of those records with those shoes.

The problem with using attractive people in ads is that its purpose is to get our initial attention, which it usually does very well, but our focus remains on the model and not so much of the main point of the ad. It's only human nature to do so.

Well, you asked...

[E-Stat]

Do half naked models help you make audio decisions?
Actually, they need to be fully nude. That's the only reason why I bought Soundlab electrostats. :)

Scroll down a bit (http://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/vt.mpl?f=mug&m=163354)

[JohnMichael]

E-Stat I see that picture differently. In that ad they show the product and the female form. VPI posted an erotic image on their Facebook page that did not even show their products. I am sure many young people would find that image to provoke sexual ideas. The Soundlab picture reminds me of sculpture.

Also the body language is so different from the two models. The one says beautiful form and the other is saying well I am not really sure.

Another thing that I find frustrating is they took down the negative comments but kept the ones supporting the objectification of the woman amidst the records.

[E-Stat]

VPI posted an erotic image on their Facebook page that did not even show their products.
So, the turntable in the pic wasn't even theirs? I never saw the picture in question.


The Soundlab picture reminds me of sculpture.
It does. I got my wife to strike the same pose with my U-1s. :)

[poppachubby]

Of course the main photo on their Facebook page is a young woman who looks like she is going to have oral sex with a tonearm.

Yes, convincing the audio public that a tonearm is akin to a penis will not help sales. Now we will be ever so gently handling our tonearms - with the threat of breakage never in sight. They should show a model playing tennis with a tonearm... much better for sales I think.

As for the image in question, I am truthfully not offended, but I am also completely unimpressed. There are places to go to see sexy women, and in a VPI ad, I want to see a sexy TT. To me it shows they have a low opinion of their customers, and their potential customers - we are like a pack of horny dogs just needing an excuse to be active consumers.

I wonder what a dealer would think if I went in with a fistful of cash, and while handing it to him, began dry humping his counter. I would have to guess he would simply take the cash and call for a clean up on the PA.

I like to think that as audio enthusiasts who are seeking out that "next level", we can just cut to the chase without the "witty" advertising. Now, if they are going to have an ad with John Micheal straddling a power amp... that's much different - obviously.

Chubbs

[recoveryone]

If you go on youtube search for Maxell cassette tape, you can see the full commerical. its worth a view.

[JohnMichael]

So, the turntable in the pic wasn't even theirs? I never saw the picture in question.


It does. I got my wife to strike the same pose with my U-1s. :)


The image is in post #9. It was posted on their Facebook page.

I was pleased to learn you and your wife enjoy the hobby together.

[recoveryone]

All this talk of ads of audio gear had me thinking back. Does anybody remember these. I went on ebay just to see if they were still around and my jaw about hit the ground. They go for as much $74.00 now days. I have 3 of them in my garage (just not new still sealed :()

[BadAssJazz]

I should clarify that this was not an ad featuring a VPI turntable. It was a vintage record player with a slightly different approach to posing.

When I first saw the ad, my eyes were first drawn to the LPs on the floor, then the turntable, lastly the model. It's just how my brain is wired. First, give me great songs, then the right equipment to drive it, and lastly, someone to share the sublime experience of sheer audio bliss, if possible. The first two are absolutely essential. The model? Not so much.

[bobsticks]

Half naked models wouldn't influence me to buy a particular piece of audio gear but they do remind me why I bought the house in which to put the equipment.

George Takei is silly and is often self-described as such. His sense of humor is both caustic and self-deprecating. I suspect anyone offended by that either doesn't know much about Takei or is looking for a reason to be offended.

[JohnMichael]

Half naked models wouldn't influence me to buy a particular piece of audio gear but they do remind me why I bought the house in which to put the equipment.

George Takei is silly and is often self-described as such. His sense of humor is both caustic and self-deprecating. I suspect anyone offended by that either doesn't know much about Takei or is looking for a reason to be offended.


oh but there are so many reasons to be offended

[bobsticks]

oh but there are so many reasons to be offended

Be that as it may...:skep: :smilewinkgrin:

[Feanor]

More broadly, does "life style" or "beautiful people" advertising influence your decisions respecting any product or service??

Everything from Viagra/Cialis to beer to eyeglass lens is sold using, if not explicit sexuality, then beautiful people (increasingly male as well as female -- and why not), beautiful locations, beautiful homes, etc., etc., even where these things have absolutely nothing to do with product, its function, or quality.

Being an obsessively analytic person combined with the fact of being a marginally poor person, I like to believe that I'm not much influenced by these huckster techniques: maybe I'm kidding myself. In the case of audio equipment, and especially the audiophile stuff, most buyers are men and most men are heterosexual, so near (or completely) naked women are a natural to get their attention if not actually persuade them.

Come to that, who would you rather look at: Mark Gilmore or Linda O'Neal ?!?

9200

[JohnMichael]

I am not interested in either one. I am glad his product is displayed. As a male albeit not a straight male I am insulted that advertisers think men's decisions can be swayed so easily. Of course I also wonder about men that need silver silhouettes of women on their mud flaps.

[filecat13]

Neither of the pictured ads would induce me to buy the products. In fact, in both cases, the ads are unattractive, and I am a straight guy (okay maybe 95%, I might not have met the right man yet) who loves a little... :ihih: er, well back on track.

It seems like gratuitous pandering, plus the models are unnatural looking in their poses. It's just freakishly weird to me. Look at the woman's expression in the turntable ad. Lordy, I wouldn't want that thing sleeping in my house!

Now, give me a normal woman in shorts and a t-shirt shaking her moneymaker in front of a piece of gear, she has a happy look on her face, she's closed her eyes, her hair is flying, she's entranced by the music, hell, I'll have what she's having! Now that's a woman who could help me make an audio decision.:3: