The Sexiest Ads of all time

We all know sex sells, and there’s no better way to herald this truth than with a countdown of the sexiest ads of all time. Here, two industry bigwigs give us their favourite snippets of steamy on-screen action.

Colman Rasic executive creative director Dejan Rasic

1) Client: Carl’s Junior ‘Drive In with Kate Upton’
Agency: 72 and Sunny LA

This latest instalment in the Carl’s Junior campaign continues the ‘sexy girl and burger’ theme, cranking it up quite a few notches here with Kate Upton. It takes the concept of ‘food porn’ to a whole new level.

2) Client: Agent Provocateur ‘Proof’
Agency: CDP London

I’m sure everyone has seen this by now. When it first came out, people in the office were super-glued to their screens. It features Kylie in Agent Provocateur lingerie, riding a mechanical bull. What more could you want? Oh wait, there’s even a clever twist at the end, making it a cool idea to boot. This brand has always known who it is, and does it with class.

3) Client: Yves Saint Laurent ‘Parisienne’
Agency: Baron & Barron NYC

This spot for YSL won’t win any points for being conceptually great, but I doubt that was the intention here. It features a stunning looking Kate Moss in the back seat of a car, rolling about with some lush flowers. The whole spot is shot incredibly well. Fabien Barron knows how to bring the best out of Kate and it shows in every second. Pure class.

4) Client: Levi’s ‘Washroom’
Agency: BBH London

This superb spot from BBH London is no doubt one of their best for Levi’s. It’s done super well. The direction is timeless and the casting is perfection. What they don’t show, makes this sexy. The timing of every shot is worked out perfectly.

5) Client: Miller Lite ‘Catfight’
Agency: Ogilvy & Mather NYC

Here we see two girls arguing over the attributes of Miller Lite. They end up wrestling in a fountain and then end up in a mud pit. Yes really. Then we realise it was all just a fantasy of two guys at the pub. Job done.

GPY&R Group Sydney executive creative director Julian Watt

First, what’s the definition of sexy? Containing sex, explicit scenes, sexual in nature, arousing? I don’t really find the films with obvious innuendo and explicit vibes that sexy.

The ones that really resonate, where they’re using ‘sexuality’ to sell, would be as follows:

6) Client: Levis ‘Creek’
Agency: BBH UK

Levis ‘Creek’ where two young (obviously gorgeous) Amish girls observe a naked man swimming in the creek. The alchemy of how this was shot, the end of innocence narrative and the directing restraint makes it so powerful and timeless.

7) Client: Lynx
Agency: BBH UK

Lynx – the one where the montage of the picture perfect girls talking to camera, uttering all the things every guy wishes his girlfriend would say,the one where the montage of the picture perfect girls talking to camera, uttering all the things every guy wishes his girlfriend would say, “That’s so funny, I collect comic books too.” Pure Lynx gold.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eRv9C8-w1Pg

8) Client: Nespresso ‘The Swap’
Agency: McCann Paris

The Nespresso ads with George Clooney. All of them. This is a joke. Not a very good one, but hey, I’m on deadline.

9) Client: BMW ‘Mercury’
Agency: Hunt Lascaris, South Africa

BMW Mercury. An old South African ad made when Hunt Lascaris was making most of their most iconic work. Very simple and elegant, showing a drop of Mercury elegantly running along the skin of a perfect female body, eventually settling to form the BMW logo and the line Sheer Driving Pleasure. Yes, seems simple now, but back then there was no post trickery. Just a simple idea and a lot of mercury poisoning.