Flashy magazine ads portraying¹ sexy women may not catch the eyes of female readers, according to research. The advertising² industry bases its success on consumers being drawn³ to their products. But when it comes to selling in magazines like Allure⁴ and Glamour⁵ publications with 100% female readership what do consumers want?

To find out, a team of researchers at the University of Florida gauged⁶ the emotional responses of more than 100 college-aged women to photos of attractive women.

After looking at each photo, the participants would point to a manikin that represented their emotional reaction.

For instance, one set of manikins represented arousal reactions, ranging from disinterested⁷ to excited. The more seductive the model, the more it left the women bored and uninterested, according to lead author Robyn Goodman.

The findings seem to contradict the sensual images that saturate⁸ the ads in female magazines. "It seems they missed the mark here," said Jon Morris, one of the co-authors.

He added that the results also illuminate⁹ a gap between the male executives who are marketing¹⁰ the magazines and the consumers.

In an initial survey, participants were asked to rate photos of models according to six beauty categories, including sex kitten and classic feminine. "These beauty types were determined¹¹ by fashion editors at magazines," Goodman said.

But rather than distinguishing between six beauty types, the participants only saw two types. "After analysing the data, we found that female consumers only saw two types of beauty: wholesome¹² and sexy-sensual," Goodman said.

For instance, Katie Holmes is an example of wholesome while the Victoria's Secret models are sexy-sensual, she said.