Marketing with the Seven Deadly Sins Part 6: Lust
All human emotions are effective motivators, but perhaps none are as powerful as lust. It’s stronger than mere desire, and has the potential to completely override all other motivations. If we allow ourselves to become fascinated with someone—or something—we may not be able to concentrate on anything else until that hunger is sated. Delivering the perfect image, a suggestive phrase, an alluring sound, or even a scent can trigger an almost physical need to claim that object of desire, and it’s why lust is an indispensable weapon in a marketing arsenal.
Marketing has always been about one thing: making people want something.
Every successful brand has one thing in common: people want it. Sometimes that desire is practical. We want a safer car, a better insurance policy, or software that saves us time. Other times, the desire is emotional. We want admiration, success, confidence, or a lifestyle that reflects who we hope to become.
The Seven Deadly Sins offer an interesting lens through which to view marketing, and lust may be the most misunderstood of them all. While lust traditionally refers to excessive sexual desire, marketers have long understood that desire itself—whether romantic, aspirational, or emotional—is one of the strongest forces influencing human behavior.
Obviously a goal of marketing is to create desire. The question is how.
Sex Has Been Selling for Decades
You’ve undoubtedly heard the saying, “Sex sells.” For generations, advertisers have used attractive models, flirtatious imagery, suggestive language, and themes of romance to capture attention. From luxury cars and fragrances to hamburgers and blue jeans, countless products have been promoted using sexual imagery that has little or nothing to do with the product itself.
Why? Because sexual imagery is difficult for the human brain to ignore.
Consumer behavior has consistently shown that sexually appealing images can increase attention and even improve recall. Humans are biologically wired to notice cues related to attraction and reproduction, making this type of content especially effective at breaking through advertising clutter. But capturing attention is not the same as building a successful brand.
Attention Isn’t the Same as Persuasion
An advertisement filled with provocative imagery may generate clicks, views, or conversations. It may even go viral. Yet studies have often found that in some cases, the sexual content overshadows the brand itself. You’ve probably experienced this yourself: an ad that grabbed your attention, yet somehow the actual product or brand escaped your recollection. This creates something of a paradox.
Businesses ultimately need customers to remember their company, not just the attractive person in the commercial.
The Halo Effect (“I’ll have what she’s having”)
Psychologists describe a phenomenon known as the halo effect, where people unconsciously associate positive qualities with physically attractive individuals. Advertisers have leveraged this principle for decades.
If an attractive person appears to enjoy a product, audiences may unconsciously transfer some of those positive feelings to the brand. Luxury fashion, cosmetics, fitness companies, automobiles, and fragrance brands frequently use this approach because appearance is naturally connected to their products.
When used authentically, showcasing attractive, confident people can reinforce a brand’s identity. When overused—or when the imagery has no logical connection to the product—it can feel manipulative or inauthentic. Consumers today are quick to recognize advertising that feels exploitative, objectifying, or disconnected from the product being sold.
Every Purchase Begins with Desire, but Goes Deeper than Mere Attraction
The most successful brands recognize that lust, in a broader sense, is really about longing.
Customers crave:
- Success
- Security
- Prestige
- Adventure
- Recognition
- Belonging
- Comfort
- Simplicity
A business app developer doesn’t sell software. They sell the promise of increased productivity, profit margin and work-life balance.
Rather than saying: “Our accounting software automates reports.”
Try: “Imagine finishing your monthly reporting in minutes instead of spending an entire weekend buried in spreadsheets.”
The best branding doesn’t simply make people notice. It makes them imagine. Owning your dream home, starting your own business, crossing the marathon finish line, sleeping soundly knowing your family is protected. These visions create desire without relying on provocation. They invite customers to picture a better future—and position your brand as a partner in achieving it.
That’s the power of desire-driven storytelling.
Use Lust Responsibly
Desire may earn the first sale. Trust earns the second.
The deadly sin of lust isn’t inherently wrong. Desire is what motivates people to improve their lives, pursue goals, and seek new experiences. Some believe that all such desires boil down to the animal instinct to make ourselves more attractive to a potential mate. It’s a weak spot in most consumers’ armor that ethical marketers are very careful about exploiting. Your marketing should create excitement, but your business must consistently deliver on its promises. When customer expectations match reality—or better yet, exceed it—you transform temporary desire into long-term loyalty.
That’s how respected brands are built.
Final Thoughts
Lust is one of the most powerful forces in human psychology. For marketers, that means recognizing both the appeal and the limits of sexual attraction. While provocative imagery can capture attention, sustainable brands are built on deeper desires: security, achievement, connection, confidence, and transformation.
Customers may first notice your business because something catches their eye. They become loyal because your brand fulfills a promise. The most successful marketing doesn’t merely arouse curiosity—or even attraction. It inspires people to believe that their lives can genuinely be better because of what you offer.