The market says that sex sells, and looking at the success of Fifty Shades of Grey, it's hard to argue with that. EL James sold 25 million copies in four months; compare that to Larssen's Millennium series which takes four years to reach this milestone. Everyone likes sex; although we are creatures of habit, we are also creatures of chaos. Fifty Shades of Gray appeals to that part of us that craves variety and madness. Every women's magazine publishes articles on how to improve or spice up your sex life. Fifty Shades of Gray not only chronicles exciting sexual experiences, but also goes into so much detail that the consumer is able to easily replicate the acts performed. Another factor that contributes to the success of the novel is its origins. EL James wrote the story as a fiction based on the Twilight series. It was uploaded to FanFiction.com. This meant that before its release, the novel already had a large fan base. All these factors contributed to the enormous success of the novel and contributed to the spread of its marketing campaign. Fifty Shades of Gray reinvented the public perception of BDSM and addressed the "gray area" of sexual fetishes. When the topic of BDSM comes up, generally horrific images of medieval dungeons, sadistic devices and pain overwhelm the mind. The author discredited the original social stigmas by exposing the reality of the lifestyle in an essence of elegance, romance and control. The novel humanized the BDSM lifestyle by pulling at the emotional strings that fabricate our lives. But what if I told you that this best-selling erotic novel wasn't that erotic? The market reiterates that sex sells, but in reality it is fantasy that sells. Consumers of Fifty Shades of Gray are ordinary women interested in the fantasies that the novel...... middle of paper ...... Hades of Gray will soon end. Works Cited1) http://www.tampabay. com/features/books/fifty-shades-of-grey-tops-all-book-sales-in-2012/21113012) http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2187022/Fifty-Shades- Of-Grey-Its-really-FIVE-Shades-analysis-reveals-finishes-bestseller.html3) https://www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/openforum/articles/6-business-lessons-from- 50 Shades of Grey/4) http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/unique-everybody-else/201307/bdsm-personality-and-mental-health5) http://www.marketingmagazine.co. uk/article/1160495/marketing-moments-2012-fifty-shades-grey6) Brown, S. (1995). Sex 'n' Shopping: A "New" Approach to Consumer Research. Journal of Marketing Management, 11(8), 769-783.7) Patterson, A., & Brown, S. (2005). No story, no sale: a new approach to marketing communications. Marketing review, 5(4), 315-328.