Violence, Sex, and Advertising Effectiveness

• In Event: Advertising and Branding

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to fill gaps revealed by a previous meta-analysis regarding the effects of violence and sex in advertising. In Study 1, participants (N = 195) were exposed to either a violent or nonviolent edit of the television program Rome and either a commercial break featuring a violent commercial or a commercial break featuring a nonviolent commercial. In Study 2, participants (N = 216) were exposed to either a sexual or nonsexual edit of the television program Rome and either a commercial break featuring a sexual commercial or a commercial break featuring a nonsexual commercial. Contrary to predictions, several null effects were found regarding violence, and brands advertised in sexual programs or using sexual ads were actually remembered better than brands advertised in nonsexual programs or using nonsexual ads. Potential explanations for the unexpected effects are discussed, such as humor confounds and desensitization effects.

Author

• Robert Benjamin Lull, California State University, Fresno