A Laughing Matter? How Humor in Alcohol Ads Influences Interpersonal Communication and Persuasion

• In Event: HIGH-DENSITY: At the Intersection of Cognition, Emotion, and Message

Abstract

Exposure to alcohol ads increases alcohol consumption. A potential explanation is that certain (e.g., humorous) alcohol ads trigger conversations which can, in turn, influence drinking behaviors. Therefore, we investigated the influence of humor in alcohol ads on conversational occurrence, length, and valence about alcohol and alcohol ads. 114 participants were shown one of three beer ads (humor; positive; no ad), after which participants could voluntarily discuss the ad and alcohol. Next, all participants discussed the topic and answered a questionnaire assessing conversational valence and ad, brand, and alcohol evaluations. Results showed that humor leads to more, longer, and often more positive conversations about the ad and alcohol. This interpersonal communication, and especially conversational valence, was subsequently related to ad, brand, and alcohol evaluations. These findings may explain the effect of alcohol ads on alcohol consumption, and provide important starting points for using humor as a potentially effective behavior change tool.

Authors

• Hanneke Hendriks, University of Amsterdam/ Amsterdam School of Communication Research (ASCoR)

• Madelijn Strick, Utrecht University