Sure, but that's only part of the story. Sex does sell, but it's not in the way you might think.
The above ad isn't effective because of the airbrushed models lounging in the tub. It works because most look at this and picture themselves lounging with the model in the tub. Sex isn't the main draw. It's the fantasy that sells. Escapism sells.
Escapism springs from a dissatisfcation with one's current situation. Does this mean that most people are actually unhappy? Happiness is a difficult thing to measure. Are you happier than you were yesterday? How much happier? What about two months ago? Contentment with life varies almost imperceptibly from day to day, or even minute to minute. It's a complicated state of mind that may not be able to be perfectly expressed at all.
That said, what is the significance of a 2013 Harris Poll claiming that only one in three Americans are "very happy"? Regardless of whether or not happiness can even be measured in a survey such as this, it reveals that, at the very least, Americans widely perceive themselves to be unhappy. The survey confirms this, finding that 67% of those surveyed claiming optimism for the future, down from 75% in 2011.
This is not a solely a modern phenomenon, though. The appeal to escapism has been a part of civilization since the beginning. What makes a modern escapist culture different?
The answer is simple. The world is more connected today than it has ever been. The onset of globalization and new, faster forms of communication (such as cell phones and the internet) has made it easier than ever before to compare life experiences.
Dissatisfaction has grown precisely because we are now able to compare our lives with more people, more easily. The bodybuilder on Facebook, the jet-setting lawyer on Twitter, or the high school relationship drama that plays out daily on Instagram. We now see a constant highlight reel of the best parts of everyone's lives, and perceived inadequacy sets in.
Technological advancements also conveniently provide the solution to the problem. Modern gadgets like the Oculus Rift along with more immersive visual effects in both television and film make it easier than ever to fall into a new reality.
More and more people are growing dissatisfied with what reality has to offer, and they're making their own instead.
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