“Sex sells” has been a mantra in marketing for decades. As researchers who study consumer behavior, we’ve seen plenty of evidence to support it: Attractive models and spokespeople have been shown to reliably grab attention, boost clicks, and make products seem more desirable.
But our new research suggests that in a digital world full of influencers—trusted tastemakers with large online followings—being too attractive can actually backfire, particularly in the fitness space.
We call this the “beauty backfire effect,” and we put it to the test in a series of laboratory experiments.