• by Jack Cohen-Martin , March 27, 2014

The name of this newsletter is Engage:Men, and that's what we've been talking about in our earlier columns such as: Making the Men In Your (Marketing) Life A Priority This Year and What The Data Says About the State of the American Man.

We've spent a lot of time thinking and writing about the challenges and opportunities of designing marketing and advertising campaigns specifically designed to target a male demographic.

However, what if advertising campaigns could be developed that targeted a female demographic. But, due to the sharp, humorous, and sexy content, equally appealed to men. With the latest trend of hunkvertising, we think this trend is happening right now — and will continue to grow as more and more skilled marketers develop hunkvertising campaigns for their products and services.

The CPG category is a prime example of why hunkvertising is working — and working well. Even now, you can turn on a lot of daytime television shows — or primetime dramas and see advertisements for CPG products that wouldn't look that out of place on an episode of “Mad Men.” 

Yes, the clothing styles may be contemporary, and the racial, sexual diversity of the actors in the ads reflect a modern sensibility. But, the ads — we've seen them before many, many times. An ad designed solely to cite a list of the product's attributes, with possibly a humorous twist thrown in here and there.

Hunkvertising takes that old ad model and throws it out the proverbial window. As explained in a recent “ABC Nightline” segment, hunkvertisements are selling CPG products with sexy, appealing, and laugh-out-loud humor. We don't have data to back it up — yet. But these ads are certain to pique consumers' interest vs. a CPG ad following the old formula. 

But, here's the interesting thing, we think. In the process of revamping, rethinking, and restyling CPG advertising for today's female audience, these companies are going to capture the attention of many, many men.

We admit it, a pipe cleaner ad filled with sexual double entendres had us laughing out loud. I can't remember, ever, laughing at a CPG pipe cleaner fluid commercial, and, frankly, I can't remember paying attention to such an ad at all unless it was to hit the fast-forward button on the DVR remote.

We don't want to sound too gung-ho, but rethinking and retooling traditional advertising/branding creative in this way could have a huge impact.

We know it's ironic to write this for a column dedicated to advertising issues for a male demographic. But here goes. Advertisers and brands could revamp their appeal to men, by re-imagining their advertising designed for females. Create an edgy, sexy, humorous advertising campaign targeted to women, and you have an equally good shot at getting men talking and thinking about your brand as well.