Consumer Response toward Sexual Advertisements in the Context of Access-Based Consumption

This research explores consumers’ responses to sexual appeals in advertisements in the context of access-based consumption. The results indicate that male consumers’ responses toward sexual appeals are more negative when the advertised products are access based (versus ownership based). For female consumers, sexual appeals lead to equally negative responses in the two consumption modes (Study 1). Male consumers react more negatively to sexual appeals (versus nonsexual appeals) when the advertised product is access based because of a heightened desire for possessiveness, which conflicts with the nonpossessive nature of access-based consumption (Study 2). Notably, the negative effect induced by sexual appeals in access-based consumption mode is supported regardless of whether the degree of match between advertised product and sexual appeals is high or low (Study 3). Moreover, sexually conservative consumers respond to sexual appeals more negatively when the advertised products are access based (versus ownership based) (Study 4). These findings have important implications for advertising activities in the context of access-based consumption and the sharing economy.