Abstract
Advertisements often use positive appeals to please consumers. One exception is an emerging device that uses negative messages to target audiences, which the current authors refer to as “audience-targeted negative advertisements.” Through in-depth interviews and two experiments, this research systematically explores the perceptions and feelings of audiences about audience-targeted negative advertisements (Study 1); empirically distinguishes these advertisements from humorous advertisements and other negative advertisements (Study 2); and investigates when audience-targeted negative advertisements are more likely to be effective for advertisers (Study 3). The results show that audience-targeted negative advertisements have unique features that include negativity, uniqueness, humor, realism, and emotional influences such as empathy. Findings include practical guidance for advertisers on degree of negativity and product-type conditions in which audience-targeted negative advertisements are most effective.
- negative advertisements
- humorous advertisements
- advertisement effectiveness
- Asia
- emerging consumption behavior
- Received March 30, 2022.
- Received (in revised form) March 9, 2023.
- Accepted March 13, 2023.
- Copyright © 2023 ARF. All rights reserved.
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Vol 63 Issue 2
