"Sex sells". Or does it? One thing's for sure, it does get our attention. The approach has been used for decades by advertisers; seen on print, TV, online, and pretty much everywhere. But according to a study published on PlosOne, sex doesn't actually sell, not that much anyway. And while that's not stopping some companies from coming up with these types of ads, at what point does sexy become sexist?

Here are some examples of some of the world's top sexist ads we've seen so far.

1. Burger King

The ad was to promote Burger King's new 7-inch sandwich.

2. Arby’s

Like Burger King, Arby's used a similar ploy to sell its burgers and ran its ads in Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit issue.

3. Fluid Hair

This ad refuses to treat women with dignity, and even trivializes domestic violence by depicting battered women with beautiful hair disregarding violence.

4. Hunky Dorys

This ad apparently received 3,000 complaints. The ads had women in suggestive positions wearing really tight outfits. Hunky Dorys saw a 17% increase in sales after that.

5. Dolce & Gabbana

Known for being risque in their ads, this one received plenty of criticism suggesting it was glamorizing gang rape. They quickly pulled the ad.

6. Mr. Clean

Mr. Clean was adamant that a woman's place is still in the home - cleaning. They released an advertisement showing a mother and daughter celebrating the miracle of Mr. Clean. Check out their tagline.

7. Tom Ford

This campaign was shot by the controversial Terry Richardson, and it oozes sexism. Everything from objectifying to gender stereotyping. On top of that, it's been banned in several countries.

8. American Apparel

Not a stranger to sexism and controversy, this clothing brand literally uses sex to sell their products. This ad shows Lauren Phoenix, an adult entertainment star, in nothing more than stockings, depicting her as a sexual object of desire.

Here's another example:

9. BMW

BMW took it to another level when they compared pre-owned cars to women who have already been deflowered.

10. Ché

Ché's ad was shot by Duval Guillaume, showing women as inanimate objects.

11. GoDaddy.com

This isn't the first they've done something like this. There are tons more where they've used beautiful women to sell their domain purchasing and hosting services.

12. Studiotees.com

Do we even need to explain?

13. Urban Outfitters

UO's ad obviously objectifies women.

14. Google simplifies Gmail for women so they can shop for shoes.

15. Axe says Women will drop anyone for an Astronaut

Axe has since taken a different route with their ads, though not as eye-catching as their usual sexist ads.

16. Carl's Jr

Not their first, and probably not their last. We're noticing a trend.. Are all burger joint ads like this?