Being sexy is good but having sex is bad. This is what the Candie’s Foundation likes to call "sexy" abstinence. Creating t-shirts in partnership with Seventeen magazine, Candie’s is currently pushing an abstinence campaign targeted at teen girls.
Advising young women through not-so-catchy slogans ("Be Sexy! It Doesn’t Mean You Have to Have Sex!"), the Candie’s Foundation wants you to know that as long as you don’t actually have sex, it’s definitely okay to be sexy.
Is anyone else confused here? Instead of pushing the use of condoms, birth control pills, and better decision-making, the company is inviting girls to wear clothes with the word "sex" and telling them that being sexy – while abstaining – is the best way to stay baby-free. Huh?
Perhaps what is even more confusing is the choice of the Foundation’s spokespersons: Britney Spears and Bristol Palin. These two women are sexy, which should convince girls to buy into the brand. Yet, the message they bring is that young women should ignore their own sexuality all-together, not control it – for instance through birth control or condoms.
And while we’re on the subject: having sex takes two. So should boys also be sexy but not have sex, too?
Confusing Abstinence Campaigns
Candie's Says Being Sexy Is Good, Just Don't “Do
Trend Themes
1. Abstinence Marketing - Companies are pushing abstinence marketing campaigns, which have the potential to disrupt the traditional sexual wellness industry.
2. Sexual Wellness Education - There is an opportunity for companies or organizations to disrupt the traditional approach to sexual wellness education, which focuses primarily on abstinence-based practices.
3. Sex-positive Marketing - Promoting sexual empowerment and education may create a new trend in sex-positive marketing messages, which interrupt the ongoing abstinence-based marketing campaigns.
Industry Implications
1. Sexual Wellness Industry - The sexual wellness industry has the potential to be disrupted by companies offering new products or services that challenge the predominant abstinence-based messaging.
2. Public Health Industry - There is an opportunity for innovation in the public health industry by moving away from abstinence-based messaging in sexual wellness education and advocating for comprehensive sex education.
3. Marketing Industry - By challenging and disrupting the traditional abstinence-based marketing messaging, marketers have the opportunity to appeal to an audience seeking more sex-positive and inclusive messaging.