A joint research team led by Professors Yeom Yoo-sik and Choi Jun-yong of Yonsei University's Sociology Department, released a report titled "Sexual Life of Seoul Residents in 2021". According to the report, one in three adults in Seoul (36%) have been living a sexless life over the past year. The results, which indicate that lack of interest and partners are the biggest reasons, are another example of the reality of the term "sexless", which has become familiar in everyday life. An article by the BBC about separate couples in Japan, who are on the rise and live in separate homes, meeting only two or three days a week to maintain the benefits of married life, and support from social media for a transgender couple in India who conceived through egg extraction, and various research results that suggest financial instability has led to a change in attitudes toward singleness, all seem to be telling one thing clearly.

Sex, which has long been a core fuel and an implicit and unlawful dream in the development and sale of consumer goods and luxury products in many industries, is losing its power.What we are seeing now is that as the connection between sex and the body loosens, sex appeal is becoming a commodity, separated from actual attraction.

Influencers like Kim Kardashian and Kylie Jenner use their physical appeal as a powerful tool for entrepreneurship, launching their own brands. The fact that physically managed appearances are commonly observed or expected from successful entrepreneurs, suggests that the rules of sex appeal, which are somewhat dramatic and new, have changed as a result of a process of constantly manipulating one's image in order to achieve victory.

A good example is the wellness industry. Previously, people felt guilty about pursuing youth, beauty, and health, even when they got older. However, now there are arguments that people want eternal youth, beauty, and the power of unlimited attraction, and are trying to achieve this through vegan food and related social movements, which have been politicized. This is one example of the basic desire for sex appeal linked to traditional purity, marriage, and motherhood being transferred to other areas. Businesses engaged in selling related desires should be particularly interested in how this new rule of permissiveness is changing.

One exemplary case is the Savage X Fenty brand in the lingerie industry, which has historically been most closely associated with seduction. The brand, which is directly operated by Rihanna, a world-renowned singer, focuses much more on empowering the female body itself by suggesting fearless confidence and inclusivity. Models appearing on SNS are diverse in body size, both male and female, and the message that attractiveness through the body comes from the body itself, connects the idea of sex appeal to soft expression and individuality, making it appealing to customers.

Glossier, a beauty product startup, is also a good example of how to leverage collective explosiveness in beauty idea exchange and marketing and sales through community. Emily Weiss, the CEO, realized that "the story of the cosmetics I use" is easy to relate to and useful, and built the foundation for her brand through a blog, continuously posting interviews and posts on topics related to cosmetics used on her bathroom shelf. This approach brings consumers, who were once only spectators, into the spotlight in every stage of the process, from beauty product planning and launch to reviews, pulling them in from other everyday categories such as a sense of belonging, community, and friendship, and generating ideas about sexual attractiveness from their pursuit.

Another phenomenon that companies in related industries should pay attention to regarding sex appeal is the growing trend of people using their bodies to distinguish themselves as belonging to a particular group. Fashion symbols, brands, and logos have been highly symbolic for a long time among the world's wealthy. Now, this external distinction is expanding to include the body, such as body modification, tattoos, and plastic surgery. Previously, it was important what you wore, but now physical distinctions such as skin, body shape, tattoos, and piercings have become a new standard for confirming the notion that they belong to a specific cultural group and vocabulary.

The key is that companies that have focused on products and services that people desire through their physical bodies need to understand the connection between sexual attractiveness and other cultural conversations that are important to people today.For example, just as the time when celebrities with tattoos could not be seen on TV has become the past, it is now time to pay continuous attention to the changing aesthetic acceptance range surrounding the body.

References

The sorrow of sexless youth

'Sexless Generation 1' is coming?...Professor Yeom Yoo-sik, "Sexual relations are the mechanism of all social activities"

The pregnancy photo of a transgender couple that became a hot topic

Japan: Increasing 'separated couples'...the key to a healthy relationship?

Savage X Fenty

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