Effects of Sexualization in Advertisements

Alyssa Zaid and Phillip WalkerHanover College

Advertising• Advertising is the non-personal communication of

information usually paid for and usually persuasive in nature about products, services or ideas by identified sponsors through various media (Bovee, 1992)

• Commonly include brand, product, and how product could be beneficial to entice consumers

• Companies use a variety of methods to promote products/services in order to influence and appeal to a broad range of consumers (Keller, 1987)

Persuasion• Symbolic process in which ads try to convince

consumers to change their attitudes or behaviors (Perloff, 2003)

• Advertisements have shifted from central focus of product to having a model represent the benefits of a product as a means of persuasion (Beasley & Danesi, 2002)

• Sexualized models can be used as persuasion techniques (Lynn, 1995)

Importance of Memory• Time difference between view advertisement and

purchasing product

• The placement of advertising retrieval cues increase likelihood to recall information from advertisements (Keller, 1987).

• Promotional messages impact information already stored in LTM based upon the retrieval cues present• Viewing advertisements strengthens memory of product and brand

• Stored information allows for the connecting links to have a stronger association (Keller, 1987)

How Sexualization is Used in Ads• Sexualized ads depict women with either alluring behavior or

wearing provocative clothing as a means to promote products

and services (Monk-Turner et al., 2007)

• Viewing sexualized images tend to elicit a variety of sensations

that lead one to making an association of possible pleasurable

outcomes for him/herself (Adams 1916)

Research on Sexualization in Advertisements Lynn, 1995

• Sexualization is least effective when it is used on a product which is not normally associated with sex

• The sexualized content in advertising must be appropriate to the product category and have a proper underlying message• Direct/indirect promotion of sex in advertisements

• If sex is perceived as irrelevant to the product, it may have a negative effect on attitudes and purchasing intention

Print vs. Video Advertisements

Print

• Example: newspapers, magazines, billboards

• Printed advertisements yielded greater recall compared to televised (Buchanan 1964)– Familiarity– Able to review

information in ad

Video

• Example: television commercials, internet commercial

• Television advertising has become the most effective contemporary medium (Beasley & Danesi, 2002). – Demonstration of the

benefits

Hypothesis

• Expect to find lower memory retention for brand

and product information in sexualized than non

sexualized advertisements for non sexual products.

• Expect to find a higher memory retention for brand

and product information in video than in print

advertisements for non sexual products.

Participants• N=37 (24 Females, 13 Male)

• 18 in the sexualized condition (6 Male)

• 19 in the non-sexualized condition (7 Male)

• 98% Caucasian; 2% Other

StimuliBrand Hermes Hermes Meltin Pot Oliver Peoples

Product Scarves Purses Jeans Glasses

• Had sexualized and non sexualized versions

• As well as print and video

•Print ad as shown for the same length as video ad

Stimuli: Advertisements

Sexualized Non-sexualized

Procedure • Participants viewed two advertisements• Both were either sexualized or non sexualized• One print, one video • Different products and Brands

Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4

Sexualized Print 1 Neutral print 2 Sexualized Video 2 Neutral Video 2

Sexualized Video 2 Neutral Video 1 Sexualized Print 1 Neutral Print 1

Table 1: Condition possibilities for study and the basis of procedure in which participants will be exposed to the advertisements.

Procedure Continued• After advertisements they viewed an

episode of Doug ( Doug takes a hike/Doug Rocks)

• Then took a survey over the advertisements

Questions• What was the product being advertised?• What was the product’s brand?• What do you remember about the

advertisement?• How confident are you in your memory about

the advertisements shown? • How much did you like the advertisement• How attractive is the model

Analysis • Purchasing intentions, attitudes, and memory:

2 x 2 mixed ANOVA• IV 1: Sexualized or Non sexualized• IV 2: Print and Video• DV’s: Attitudes, recall, purchasing intent

Rating of Model’s Attractiveness

Interaction: Media typexsexualizationF (1,35) = 4.442, p = 0.042

Print Video1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

5.5

6

SexualizedNonsexualized

Mod

els

Attra

ctive

ness

Attitude about ad

F (1,35) = 4.86, p = 0.034

Print Video1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

5.5

6

SexualizedNonsexualized

Ratin

g of

ad

Items recalled

Main effect: Media type F (1, 35) = 0.4928, p=.033

Print Video0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

SexualizedNonsexualized

# of

Item

s Re

calle

d

Items recalled: Model and Product

Sexu

alize

d

Non Sexu

alize

d0

0.20.40.60.8

11.21.41.61.8

2

Video

ModelProduct

# of

Ite

ms

Reca

lled

for V

ideo

Sexu

alize

d

Non Sexu

alize

d0

0.20.40.60.8

11.21.41.6

Print

ModelProduct

# of

Item

s Re

calle

d fo

r Prin

t

Media type: F (1,35) = 19.16 p <.001 Main effect: Model product: p<.001 Interaction: Model productxsexualization: p =.007

Discussion• Print out performed video for some items• Video out performed print for other items• Other items had large error• NO statistically significant main effects for

sexualization.

Discussion

• Reasons for why sexualized models look better in video and non-sexualized model look better in print– In sexualized video movement could play a part in

the attractiveness– In sexualized print the participant would have a

longer time to notice flaws or picture modification

Discussion• Connection between attention recall and

purchasing.• Sexualization allures attention (Lynn, 1995)• Participants are less likely to recall information

from sexualized advertisements

• Sexualized images may serve as distraction when processing ad information (Darke, 1988)

Discussion• Video vs. Print• Televised information is being processed visually as well

as auditory • Printed information is processed only visually• Involvement as a factor in the ability to recall/recognize

information • Ads that have no lasting effects will have no lasting

impact • Must be deeply processed if effect is going to take

place

• But

Discussion

• Overall more items recalled in video– But, fewer of those items deal with product or

brand.– Effect greater in sexualized video advertisements

• Video distracts attention from brand and product.– Sexualization is particularly distracting

Limitations• Unfamiliarity with brands• Exposure allows for greater recall and familiarity

• Ads only presented once• In real world ads presented many times

Future Directions•Using advertisements targeted for participant pool

• Using products and brands participants may be familiar with

•Having participants view advertisements more than once

Questions