Manly way to a man's wallet

A scantily clad woman in a suggestive pose is considered a sure-fire way of making an advert appeal to straight men.

But research has found that a well-built, shirtless man may be a better way to encourage heterosexual male consumers to buy things.

Men who see "fit" competition may be subconsciously pushed to take financial risks, said the Australian study.

It found men were more likely to gamble on 50% odds than take cash straight up after being shown pictures of attractive males in suggestive poses. This might be because men who feel inadequate looks-wise will try to compensate with financial prowess to attract a mate.

Women shown pictures of female models, however, were no more likely to gamble.