Ask anyone about the "sexiest" advertisement of all time. They might tell you it's Kate Upton for American burger brand Carl's Jr. Or perhaps anything from Lynx's mid-pubescent canon. Maybe even Melanie Sykes' iconic Boddington's advert? Or when Victoria's Secret literally asked us, "What is sexy?" And that's just the tip, so to speak.

It's a cheap marketing trick: Humans think about sex, what, ten times a day? It's an easy way for brands to cash in, even if their product has literally nothing to do with sex appeal. New research from the University of Illinois, however, shows that the effort is useless.

The team looked at 78 studies conducted on American ads from 1969 to present day, analysing thousands of participants' reactions to sexy advertising, Quartz reports. Participants were more likely to remember sexy ads—and men were more likely than women to actually like the ads—but sexy ads did not sell more product. That, of course, defeats the entire purpose of having a marketing budget. Participants were also not more likely to remember the brands who made the ads.

"We found literally zero effect on participants' intention to buy products in ads with a sexual appeal," lead author John Wirtz told the University of Illinois. "This assumption that sex sells–well, no, according to our study, it doesn't. There's no indication that there's a positive effect."

So maybe that's why all those ads above feel dated—Carl's Jr. said last year that it would stop using "boobs" to sell burgers. Not only is it a smart gimmick to make yourself the "progressive" brand, but according to the research, less money gets flushed down the toilet. Plus, gross or misogynist ads are now publicly picked apart. Victoria's Secret has received criticism for ignoring the swell in body positivity over the last few years, beer commercials target friendship and community more than sex, and Lynx completely rebranded itself. Even Pornhub, which exists on the idea that sex sells, more often uses humour in its ads. (PETA continues to be PETA.) We'll take it as a good sign–marketing is getting smarter, not sexier.

From: Esquire US