A new scientific study reveals that in the world of luxury fragrance advertising, more nudity does not necessarily boost sales or brand appeal. Instead, ads featuring both male and female models together generate slightly better consumer responses than ads showing only one gender — nudity levels had little impact.
The research, published in Administrative Sciences in 2025, tested consumer reactions to six real Dolce & Gabbana perfume ads varying in model gender (male, female, or both) and clothing style (swimwear or outdoor wear). The study involved 195 participants and measured their attitudes toward the ads, the brand, and purchase intentions.
Key Findings
The researchers found no evidence that higher nudity (swimwear vs. outdoor clothing) improved consumer attitudes or intentions to purchase the fragrance. In contrast, ads that showed a gender-balanced pairing of a male and a female model yielded small but consistent improvements in brand attitude and purchase intention compared to ads with just one model (female or male).
This challenges a common advertising assumption that “more nudity is more persuasive.” Instead, the study highlights the power of including diverse genders to broaden audience relevance, reduce feelings of stereotyping or objectification, and subtly enhance consumer appeal — especially when the product message offers few strong arguments, as is typical with fragrances.
How the Study Was Conducted
The experiment used a 3×2 design, testing three model gender compositions (male only, female only, or both male and female) and two clothing levels (swimwear representing greater body exposure versus outdoor wear with more coverage). All ads featured the same luxury fragrance brand (Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue) and professional models to ensure consistency.
Participants—young adults primarily from a university setting—were randomly assigned to view one of the six ads and then evaluated their attitudes toward the advertisement, the brand, and their own purchase intention on a seven-point scale.
Table 1: Average Consumer Ratings by Model Gender Composition
| Model Gender | Attitude Toward Ad (1-7) | Brand Attitude (1-7) | Purchase Intention (1-7) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Female Only | 3.17 | 3.80 | 2.00 |
| Male Only | 3.20 | 4.00 | 2.40 |
| Both Male & Female | 3.21 | 4.34 | 2.60 |
Note: Higher values indicate more positive attitudes or stronger purchase intentions.
Nudity Didn’t Move the Needle
Across all groups, whether the models wore swimwear or more covered outdoor clothing had no significant impact on how participants felt about the ads, the brand, or their likelihood of buying the fragrance. This result was statistically robust, indicating that body exposure by itself didn’t enhance or harm consumer responses.
Table 2: Effect of Nudity Level on Consumer Responses (Average Across Genders)
| Nudity Level | Attitude Toward Ad (1-7) | Brand Attitude (1-7) | Purchase Intention (1-7) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swimwear | 3.18 | 4.05 | 2.18 |
| Outdoor Wear | 3.18 | 4.03 | 2.22 |
Insights from Advertising Psychology
Based on the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) of persuasion, the fragrance ads had weak product arguments, so viewers relied on peripheral cues — shallow but influential signals such as model attractiveness or gender composition. The presence of both male and female models likely increased self-relevance for a broader audience while reducing negative reactions linked to objectification or stereotyping.
The study also notes that attitudes toward ads and brand evaluations did not mediate the purchase intention effect of gender-balanced models, suggesting a direct peripheral cue impact on buying behavior.
Gender and Age Matter
The researchers highlight that consumer responses to nudity and model gender can differ by age and viewer gender. For example, younger people tend to be more accepting of nudity, while women often experience more negative emotional responses to sexualized female nudity in ads. The study’s sample focused on young Icelandic adults, limiting cultural generalization.
What This Means for Advertisers
The takeaway is clear for brands — especially in hedonic categories like fragrances and fashion— nudity should not be automatically equated with persuasiveness. Instead, including both male and female models may be a smarter, modest strategy to improve brand appeal and purchase interest, particularly when product messaging is minimal.
The researchers urge brands to carefully consider brand fit, cultural norms, and platform context when using sexual appeals. Misaligned or excessive nudity can backfire, especially on sensitive social media platforms.
Recommendations for Future Research
The authors call for more studies testing these effects in digital and interactive formats, across different cultures and product categories, and with repeated ad exposures. They also suggest adding biometric measures such as eye-tracking to better understand emotional reactions.
Reference: here