Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative
Advertising through Message Encoding and
Association Creation
By Amy Mulcahy & Monika Vaiciulyte
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN
GLOBALIZATION, BRANDS AND CONSUMPTION
at
LUND UNIVERSITY
2014
Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
Abstract
In a globalized world subjected to ongoing rapid technological development and increasingly evocative
entertainment, advertisers are turning their attention to methods of provocation in an effort to induce
actionable behavior from the consumer. Struggling to fight their way through the challenging
environment of todays saturated market and appeal to the increasingly desensitized consumer, advertisers
are increasingly looking to engage consumers by arousing feelings and emotions through provocation.
The purpose of this paper will be to address the research gap concerning the conceptualization of
provocative advertising, examining the thoughts, feelings and emotions aroused in the consumer upon
interpretation of a campaign’s message.
In recent decades, existing literature has acknowledged the impact of shock advertising, however, has
proven limited in explaining emotional responses from the consumer’s point of view. Drawing on the
work of Katz and Lazarsfeld (1955) and Hall (1973), the theoretical underpinnings of the paper are
grounded in mass communications research; the construction and reconstruction of meanings in society
and the process of encoding/decoding messages in a social context.
Using three company examples, provocative campaigns by the UK’s National Health Service, Benetton,
and Virgin Mobile were used as examples in the process of collecting data. Combining qualitative
methods of online observations and interaction, and eight semi-structured interviews, the data gathered
categorically organized into themes of emotional responses. Of the prevalent themes, eight distinct
emotional responses emerged: third person, victimization, deflection, desensitization, extreme responses,
and company/product rejection.
From these findings, the paper concludes with a discussion of the research findings in relation to the
appropriability and attainment in addressing the objectives of the research question. From these research
findings, practical advice for both practitioners and researchers in the field of advertising is offered
along with suggestions for areas requiring further research.
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE ......................................................................................................................................... 4
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................... 4
CHAPTER TWO ...................................................................................................................................... 14
Theoretical Framework ........................................................................................................................... 14
CHAPTER THREE .................................................................................................................................. 20
Method .................................................................................................................................................... 20
Online Observations................................................................................................................................ 23
Semi-structured Interviews ..................................................................................................................... 27
CHAPTER FOUR..................................................................................................................................... 32
Campaigns Used for the Purpose of the Study ....................................................................................... 32
CHAPTER FIVE ...................................................................................................................................... 38
Analysis .................................................................................................................................................. 38
EXTREME REACTIONS.................................................................................................................... 39
Victimization....................................................................................................................................... 39
Extreme responses .............................................................................................................................. 50
Rejection of the company/organization .............................................................................................. 55
MILD REACTIONS ............................................................................................................................. 60
Third Person ........................................................................................................................................ 60
Deflecting............................................................................................................................................ 67
Desensitized ........................................................................................................................................ 72
Appreciation........................................................................................................................................ 75
Uncertainty/Anxiety ............................................................................................................................ 81
CHAPTER SIX ......................................................................................................................................... 86
Discussion ............................................................................................................................................... 86
Findings .................................................................................................................................................. 87
Contribution to existing literature ........................................................................................................... 90
Implications............................................................................................................................................. 91
Reference list .............................................................................................................................................. 94
Appendix 1. .............................................................................................................................................. 100
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
With the general globalization and modernization of the world, markets approach towards
potential customers and consumers had to move forward too. As advertising and interaction with
customers boomed in 1950, influenced by the evolution of television and population growth, the
roots were created for today’s advertising environment. Moreover, this was a time when the
consumer voice became more powerful, and led to the development of advertising and audience
fragmentation (year 1980), where traditional mass marketing was not working so effectively
anymore and demanding differentiation (Russell & Lane, 1995). From that time on, there has
been constant development and implementation in the field, together with growth in general
marketing strategy branches. Nowadays, there are a huge variety of marketing branches, which
in itself comprises even more advertising methods and strategies. However, with the continous
development of technologies that are improving and creating more entertainment in daily lives,
emotions and feelings that were significant and sensitive ten or twenty years ago, have become
not as relevant and appealing these days. Here the need to evoke and provoke peoples’ emotions
in order to obtain their attention and involvement in the consumerism process arose.
For the modern, fully equipped and aware of their world surroundings generation, a new
advertising strategy together with an adapted marketing plan had to be created. As it is very
popular to say nowadays, customers don’t want just plain information about certain services or
products, people are looking much more deeply. They need entertainment, ideology, affection
and a whole range of emotions wrapped in the package of a service or product and this is what
they are buying. As Schembri, Merrilees and Kristiansen (2010) are present in their study about
brands as a narrative of self, association created around a certain brand influences the decision to
use certain brand, due to intentions to reflect those associations for an individual’s presentation.
It has also been shown that products are more frequently purchased due to the ideology that
underlies, rather than the capabilities of the product itself. Aware of this type of change in
people’s mindset and their subsequent new way of framing the world, marketers were challenged
to adapt and create something that could affect the modern consumer. Creativity and the ability
to understand and play with people’s emotions and psychology became a required skill. To
attract modern consumer attention, provocation in the form of different appeals was needed, the
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
era of guerilla marketing, followed by so called shockvertising began to create the path for a new
type of advertising based on rousing frustration, shock, fear, affection and other strong emotions
to create an awareness of the brand, company, or campaign and provoke not only usage of the
good or service advertised, but to create a certain story, myth ideology or associations that relates
to it.
The reactions and emotions aroused by shocking advertisements’ has been the subject of intense
discussions. Questions about what the real reactions towards shock advertising are, and how it
influences the intentions of using the advertised service or product, are relevant in order to
understand the benefits and drawbacks of using this type of strategy in promotional campaigns’.
Further, this understanding aids knowledge of how to implement the tactic of relation creating
with potential consumers. Moreover, does this type of advertising add value to the brand or
company itself, or does it not have have any palpable value and instead just creates short term
buzz that is most likely be forgotten after the new shock advertising will be released. This is one
more angle to the investigation that is wanted to be covered by this paper.
In recent decades, shock advertising, shockvertising or “yobbo advertising” has been discussed
heatedly with conflicting opinions regarding both its legitimacy as a creative technique and
effectiveness at influencing consumer behavior (Dahl et al., 2003). Adding to the difficulty of its
conceptualization are the varied opinions of its exact definition. According to Dahl et al., (2003)
shock advertising is an attempt to “surprise an audience by deliberately violating norms for
societal values and personal ideals…to capture the attention of a target audience”. This definition
has become both accepted and contested by academics alike with Chan et al., contending that the
definition is more comprehensive and consumer oriented than the concept demands (Chan et al.,
as cited in Parry et al., 2013). It remains then that shock advertising is as diverse as the views
that are held by practitioners in the field.
Shock advertising has been commonly known to be applied through four main methods of
application: beauty and sex, humor and laughter, trouble, and, confusion (Douna, 2010). Dahl et
al., (2003) state offense is provoked through the process of norm violation, encompassing
transgressions of law or custom, breaches of a moral of social code, or things that outrage the
moral or physical senses (Dahl et al., 2003). It is through deliberately violating norms that shock
appeal is able to break through advertising clutter and draw the attention of the audience. The
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
element of surprise is pivotal in initiating the processing of advertising information; by attracting
attention, surprise encourages additional processing of advertising content. Thus individuals
engage in higher levels of attributional thought for unexpected, compared to expected events in
effort to seek to understand the source of their surprise (Pyszczynski and Greenberg, 1981 as
cited in Dahl et al., 2003).
Evidence from Dahl et al., (2003) study confirms that shocking advertising is superior to
nonshocking content in its ability to attract attention and facilitate memory for the advertisement.
However, it is equally observed that culture, language, history and particularly, religion are
factors that are likely to trigger different responses to shock advertisements (Waller et al., 2005
as cited in Parry et al., 2013).Gender can also dictate the effectiveness of an appeal; for example,
some studies have shown women to be both better than men at identifying advertiser’s motives,
attaching meaning to images, and more prone to being offended by advertisements (Barnes and
Dotson, 1990 as cited in Parry et al., 2013). Contradictory evidence also exists which suggests
that women, when confronted with mild erotica in cause appeals, may be more responsive than
men (Pope, Voges and Brown, 2004).
However, despite the vast amount of attention this advertising appeal has gained in recent years,
shock tactics have in fact been around for some time, for example the Calvin Klein “nothing
comes between me and my jeans” campaign featuring Brooke Shields was considered nothing
short of scandalous in 1980 (Robert, 2012). This was merely the beginning for shock tactics.
Equally, it was the starting point at which the Calvin Klein brand began implementing this
appeal; the company has since raised eyebrows with subsequent campaigns that toe the line
between “coolness” and crassness (Robert, 2012). Other campaigns that have generated both
public outcry and yet have won advertising awards include the equally heavily discussed
Benetton brand. Praised for publicizing and confronting political and social issues, the brand has
offended multiple publics, with reactions to the campaigns yielding a plurality of opinions rather
than consensus. However, the intention of raising awareness about these social and political
issues is often to facilitate large-scale changes in behavior and attitudes (Sutton, 1992 as cited in
Parry et al., 2013). Since Benetton launched their shock advertising campaign, the advertising
world has witnessed both numerous imitations by other companies and a notable shift in the
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
nature of communications, what is referred to as the “Benetton-Toscani effect” in advertising
(Falk, 1997 as cited in Sandikci, 2011).
New communicative measures have raised the question whether there is such thing as bad
publicity. Discussions by Parsons (2013) and Robert (2012), however, contest that holding such
a view runs the risk of companies alienating their target audience. Arguably, such brashness
promotes fuelled discussions amongst consumers transforming advertising to a language of
conflict instead of consensus (Sandikci, 2011). Sandikci adds that such advertisements stimulate
two types of discussions: they incite debates about the social and political issues they portray, but
they also generate debates about the appropriateness of advertising as a platform to air such
views. Brands gaining valuable exposure and ultimately generating sales through this technique
are guided by front horse brand American Apparel. In the case of American Apparel, however,
an ad ban is perhaps the cost of achieving an image that portrays the brand as unconventional
and edgy. Though some state they have achieved exposure for adverts that would otherwise have
sat unnoticed, they have compromised their image – a simple Google search confirms this as
headlines implicate the brand with perversion as recent as six days ago: “American Apparel
Sinks to Perverted New Low With This Miniskirt Advertisement” (Mullins, 2014). It is apparent
that an overtly controversial campaign runs the risk of compromising a brand’s reputation and
further, the danger of facing an ad ban – the material cost of which should serve as a deterrent for
potentially offensive ads – some companies however, still unequivocally subscribe to this tactic.
As these campaigns confirm, shock advertising has evolved from statements or images that at the
time were considered shocking, but which today would most likely be considered at worst a little
risqué. An observation of how companies have progressively become more abrupt in their
promotional content suggests there are a number of reasons for this development. With
consumers confronted with over 3,000 advertising messages per day , it has become increasingly
difficult for companies to engage the viewer (Lasn, 1999 as cited in Dahl et al., 2003). Shock
advertising helps to pierce through this data clutter (Robert, 2012). Equally, with the
development of the web and the availability of explicit images, it is reasonable to assume the
societal skin has thickened. Violent video games, sexualized music videos and increased gore
and graphic imagery in movies further support this stance. Consumers have become desensitized
to what would have been considered shocking in the 1980s when Calvin Klein released their
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
Brooke Shields endorsed campaign, supporting Scheidlower’s (1999) view that in today’s
society, consumers have become accustom to controversial images and so advertisers are
required to go to greater lengths to create shock value (Scheidlower, 1999 as cited in Robert,
2012).
Shock advertising is not only a technique used by for-profit organizations; it has become
increasingly used in government and not-for-profit campaigns; though this is not entirely the
focus of the paper, the growth in popularity of such campaigns have proved critical in the
development of provocative marketing. “Advocacy messages” are presumably used to draw
attention to an advertisement with the expectation that further cognitive processing will take
place if the advert is noticed, and have an immediate impact on behavior; they not only present a
problem, but offer a solution (Dah l et al., 2003; Parry et al., 2013). Many of the most graphic
forms of shock advertising have been developed by this sector. Used as a tool to shock the
viewer into awareness of a cause, or more significantly, to influence behavior, evidence shows
the consumer is more likely to view the campaign with likeability and acceptance than
campaigns in the for-profit sector, reasons being that they believe “the ends justify the means”
(Dahl et al., 2003; Parry et al., 2013). Equally, governmental campaigns which have been
overwhelmingly used by the UK in recent years have utilized shock advertising as a means of
“nudging” behavior. Drawing on the findings of Thaler and Sunstein (2012), the latest coalition
government promised that gently “nudging” people to change their behavior over the long-term
can be more effective than simply telling them what to do (Bacon, 2013).
Through print media and television advertisements, the government sought to tackle multiple
issues including safe sex, drinking and driving, and encouragement to quit smoking. Though
many of their campaigns have been met with praise, the new anti-smoking advert has relapsed
from this standpoint, preaching directly about lifestyle matters. In addition, though the latest antismoking campaign can boast the Department of Health’s most watched Youtube video ever, the
video itself was not entirely well received by the public. It is important to the success of the
campaign that the advertising promoted not only shocks the viewer into taking action but also
informatively educates or provides additional details of how the viewer can find out more or
ways in which they can change their behavior. Ultimately, messages that advocate change need
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
to be unambiguous and endorse corresponding activities, otherwise there is a danger that fear and
anxiety are created, but behavior is not changed (Bacon, 2013).
On the subject of the advertisements content, it is highlighted that there should be a fit between
the message being portrayed and shock tactic employed. If a mismatch exists between these two
components, communications can be rendered less effective (Dahl et al., 2003). It is a growing
concern that whilst advertisers fight through the increasingly saturated market, companies may
be becoming too preoccupied with new ways of using shock tactics and are at risk of forgetting
about their products, their target audient and the affect it has on their company image (Parry et
al., 2013). On the other hand, a lack of product information or even the product itself in the
advertisement, and the ambiguous, unconventional and shocking nature of the content may
challenge the viewer’s interpretation and assumptions about reading the advertisement,
surprising the viewer and subsequently aiding brand recall (Sandikci, 2011). It is crucial to
remember, however, that with an advertisement so interpretive nature, the company makes itself
vulnerable to the same advertisement being read differently by different consumers (Sandikci,
2011). Furthermore, there is contention that certain individuals are predisposed to respond with
greater emotional intensity than others when confronted by such stimuli (Moore and Harris,
1996). With this finding in mind, it is suggested companies convey shock appeals targeted to
specific populations to maximize the effectiveness of their campaign and minimize negative
pressures. For example, Sophie Dahl’s sexually suggestive billboard for Yves Saint Laurent;
whilst the advertisement received substantial complaints and was prohibited from being
advertised in public places, the campaign itself won the right to run prints of the image in
relevant women’s magazines, given that this was their target audience (Parry et al., 2013).
It is frequently voiced that the longevity of shock tactics are unknown. The effect on memory
and behavior after immediately being confronted with the appeal is yet to be explored. As Dahl
et al., observe, “it remains unclear how shock advertising content will impact subsequent
behavior” (Dahl et al., 2003). The permanency of a shock campaign is likely to be attributable to
both the content and the cause of the appeal. Academics suggest that given the positive
relationship between shock tactics and recall, it is quite possible the cognitive processing of the
advertisement by the viewer will translate into intended behavior. However, it is also possible
given the nature and violation of norms inherent in shock appeals that the resulting outcome may
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
produce negative behavior (Dahl et al., 2003). In the case of a Quebec provincial government
campaign, for example, the campaign employed was intended to reduce anti-homophobic
sentiments in society. The appeal gained publicity, however, when it was met with criticism from
a group of protesters known only as “Anonymous Queers”. The protesters criticized the
government for wasting resources, but more specifically for believing that social media and
marketing can create substantial long-term cultural change. The message of this campaign sought
to equalize the lesbian and gay society as claiming they are “just like you” – when indeed, those
from Anonymous Queers believe that actually many are not, and that their differences should be
valued and respected – not erased and sanitized (Hays, 2013). Whilst this campaign
demonstrated a poorly executed message, it highlights the popular and commonly accepted belief
that marketing and indeed shock advertising appeals cannot substantiate change in a culture.
From the literature presented it is apparent that a balance must be struck for shock tactics to work
effectively for a company. Firstly, the decision whether to nudge, shove or shout at consumers is
highly dependent on a given brand’s aim. Quite often the use of provocative or shock tactics will
not be appropriate for a brand or cause and this is certainly worth consideration before
employing such appeals simply because the literature states they deliver results. For example,
Cancer Research UK found using a hard-hitting approach doesn’t really work for them.
Understandably, given the sensitive nature of the topic, people are very afraid. As a result, the
charity uses positive messages about improving Cancer survival rates to ‘nudge’ people into
taking action (Bacon, 2013). The intensity of the message should also be adapted to suit the
audience being targeted. Evidence shows when the intensity of the message exceeds normal
thresholds of severity, the viewer develops an avoidance response (Moore and Harris, 1996).
Instead, companies should look for the “sweet spot”. They should aim to generate enough
interest to elicit discussion, but falls short of raising qualms. Berger and Chen (2014) confirm
that advertisers can really make the most of their campaign by considering their channels and
audiences they want to reach, advocating that a little provocativeness goes a long way.
Using a theoretical framework which will be described in detail further in this paper, authors
seek to grasp another aspect of provocative advertising, and pay a respectable amount of
attention to the customers’ perception of shock appeal in different advertisement cases. The
aspect that is emphasized in this paper and differentiates it from previous research is that the
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
process of message encoding, subsequent aroused emotions and specific associations about the
company or brand will be analyzed by observing the life online in addition to semi-structured
interviews. In contrast to previous research, this study will be focusing not on bold emotions and
the images and details which shock individuals, but rather on the process of how and why they
have been aroused and what influence it had for their further perception of the company and its
products. In this way, it is not just the triggers for controversial reactions that will be defined in
the selected cases, but also the detailed process of their perception will be analyzed, leading to
generalized tactics for decoding messages while exposed to shock appeal. Moreover, research in
this paper focuses on the broad appeals of shock tactics (stereotypes, taboos, religion, politics,
fear and pain) used in advertisements, while previous researchers have focused mostly on sexual
appeal, seeking to get a wide overview of the customers’ perception towards different types of
provocation.
So far this paper has provided an overview of the emergence and development of shock
advertising, which is regarded as an appeal that deliberately, rather than inadvertently startles
and offends its audience (Dahl et al., 2003.) It is by and large concerned with graphic images
considered extremely emotional or disturbing used for the purpose of attracting consumer
attention (Robert, 2012). Provocative advertising, however, refers to provoking a reaction from
the viewer allowing for dispute, debate, and differing opinions. It is to this concept the paper will
address.
Frequently used to describe advertising material, the terms shockvertising and provocative
marketing lack grounded conceptualization in the existing literature and thus calls for further
research in this area. Societies reactions toward shock advertising and its perception together
with created associations will be analyzed in order to contribute to the knowledge of the modern
consumers reaction towards shocking advertising, which have been created and adapted in
accordance with changed attitudes and habits’ of modern society. Existing cases from different
industries will be used to analyze this phenomenon and conduct a generalization among the
notions of provocative marketing and usage of shockvertising and the relations between each
other. The greatest emphasis will be on consumer emotions and reactions roused by this type of
appeal as the paper aims to answer the research question: How do consumers perceive, interpret
and respond to provocation based on their emotional experiences with an advertising campaign?
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
The research question itself is in part explaining the flow of the research constructed, where the
main role is played by the audience and their perception of the image and message encoded in
the advertisement campaign. Answering the research question, the authors also aim to
supplement the existing literature with valuable insights about the process that affects the
perception and understanding of different types of shockvertising by the general public.
In addition, while reviewing previous works in this field it was observed that the majority of
papers were focusing on sexual or erotic appeal in provocative advertising and its influence on
consumers intentions to purchase product/service or (Nigel K. LI. Pope, Kevin E. Voges, and
Mark R. Brown; Virginie De Barnier, Pierre Valette-Florence; Douglas Amyx, Kimberly Amyx).
The other widely discussed area in shock advertising and provocative approach is among its
usage in fashion industry and for the social cause campaigns (Nigel K. LI. Pope, Kevin E.
Voges, and Mark R. Brown; Virginie De Barnier, Pierre Valette-Florence; Richard Vezina,
Olivia Paul).
In this paper, the main authors’ goal is to observe and explore the emotions, interpretations and
associations created and underlined by the provocations in the advertisements including a wide
range of shock appeals in different advertising campaign cases. Due to the globalization and
modernization of society it is possible to make a hypothesis that these differences are no longer
weighty; and age together with different cultural backgrounds plays a meaningful role in
shockvertising perception and acceptance. Cultural environment and knowledge, however is a
big factor in all of the previously conducted researches and remains a meaningful element in our
research, however, the current location of the research does not allow to incorporate this factor in
the analysis.
Other notable differences between previous research and this paper is that in the empirical
research part, the comparison between non shocking and shock appeal advertisements are not
compared, selecting only those cases using shock appeal to the customers. Bruce A. Huhmann
and Beth Mott-Stenerson (2008) however, distinguish between advertisements that are using
shock appeal for non-controversial products or services, with those that have controversial
product or service and use shockvertising. It is an important implication for our research that the
selected cases (excluding the cause example, which is referring to a social problem and by its
nature is a sensitive topic and thus can be called controversial) are used for the non-controversial
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
products and services by their nature. This is one more important factor that must be taken into
consideration as the usage of shock appeal to the customers is not created organically for the
non-provocative products or services, as it is complicated to present the provocative product or
service not representing its controversy.
Adding to the existing conceptualization of provocations in advertising made by R. Vezina and
O. Paul (1997), the goal for this paper is to draw a connection between the introduction and
presentation of an advertising campaign to the general public, and its receiving and perception of
the potential consumers. Moreover, the connection between the general brand or company image
and the shock advertising implementation to the company strategy, their collaboration and
complementation of each other will be examined.
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
CHAPTER TWO
Theoretical Framework
In understanding the interpretive nature of advertising, this paper will draw upon the field of
mass-communications research, utilizing the theoretical contributions of Katz and Lazarsfeld,
Stuart Hall and a number of subsequent contributors to the frequently discussed and debated
field.
Heralded as the first academics to acknowledge media’s “limited impact”, Kat and Lazarsfeld
started to note the difficulty of bringing about attitude change through media persuasion as early
as 1942 (Lazarsfeld, 1942 as cited in Pooley, 2006). Their book ‘Personal Influence’ discovered
that the previously supposed direct flow of mass media influence is in fact mediated by existing
patterns of interpersonal communication in local communities. The writers found that opinion
leaders seek mass media messages relevant to their expertise; once these messages have been
sought, they disseminate the message through horizontal or vertical flows in their local
community, facilitated by their interpersonal relations in primary groups (Livingstone, 2006).
This ‘selective transmission process’ resists or facilitates social change, and it is with these group
processes the book is most concerned, examining various permutations of the relations among
three areas: media, public opinion, and conversation.
On reflection of Katz and Lazarsfeld’s “Personal Influence,” Martin Allor (1988) states their
work was not just about the “part played by people in the flow of mass communications;” more
significantly it was, “about the part played by people acting as individuals, in peer of community
groups, and through institutions” (Allor, 1988; as cited in Livingstone, 2006). Essentially, the
paper was concerned with the construction and reconstruction of meanings in society with the
role of the audience as “the underpinning prop for the analysis of the social impact of mass
communication in general” (Allor, 1988; as cited in Livingstone, 2006).Thus, Personal Influence
considered the audience as active and firmly located in local communities and groups, the
findings of which proved strongly influential in shaping subsequent studies, creating a social and
democratic framework for the study of audiences (Livingstone, 2006).
Since Personal Influence, framing the study of media and communications has not been without
its difficulties. Audience research began to gain considerable recognition in media and
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
communication theory in the 1980s (Livingstone, 2006). From this recognition, two means of
understanding its development emerged. The first strand concerned the gradual recognition of
the critical distance and resistance of a heterogeneous public to the power of a hegemonic mass
media. The second concerned the gradual convergence of a number of theoretical traditions in an
exploration of the multiple ways in which people respond actively and creatively to the mass
media. Livingstone (2006) states the former has become the recognized route of development.
It has been argued, however, that the nature of this development is not representative of the true
nature of media and communication theory (Livingstone, 2006). Rather than a linear process, the
media landscape has developed and diversified; publics are no longer subjected to an era
dominated by mass media, instead audiences are proving more creative and critical in their
relationship with the media. Through the prioritization of empirical social scientific methods
over high theory, mass communication research has taken the route of an administrative
direction, distancing itself from the school of critical mass communications. Personal Influence
is regarded as the founding document of this field of study and was heavily criticized for its
disregard of those ideas advocated by critical mass communication research (Gitlin, 1978, as
cited in Livingstone, 2006). With the release of this critique emerged Stuart Hall who launched
his critical encoding/decoding approach to audiences in 1980.
On reflection of mass media communications research and its conceptualization as a process of
communication in terms of a loop, Stuart Hall (1973) reverts back to the criticized model with
the exclamation that despite its perceived linearity, it is both possible and useful to think of this
process in terms of a ‘structure produced and sustained through the articulation of linked but
distinctive moments’. These so-called distinctive moments – production, circulation,
distribution/consumption, and reproduction – identify a continuous circuit and are sustained
through a ‘passage of forms’ (Hall, 1973). The objects of the passage of forms or practices are
meanings and messages termed sign vehicles. The process begins with production; the message
is constructed, which is equally framed by meanings and ideas according to the institute that
creates the message. Using the television communicative process as an example, Hall (1973)
describes how this process may not be a closed system; that the producers may also draw
definitions of the situation from other sources within the wider socio-cultural and political
structure of which they are a differentiated part.
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
At some point, however, the message must be encoded in the form of a meaningful discourse.
The institution responsible for the creation of the message, or the ‘producers’, must pass under
the discursive rules of language for the message or product to be realized. Before the message
can be realized, however, the message must be appropriated as a ‘meaningful discourse’ and be
‘meaningfully decoded’ (Hall, 1973). It is the way in which the message is decoded that has an
effect on the audience, which may concern behavior, perception, cognition, or emotional state. It
is important to add that there are complexities surrounding encoding and decoding. It is not
assumed that these two constitute an immediate identity. They may not be perfectly symmetrical,
which subsequently permits and determines the degrees of understanding and misunderstanding
of the intended message.
In addition, some codes may be so widely distributed in a language, community or culture that
they are universally accepted, i.e. they are not constructed, but appear ‘naturally’ given. What
this represents is an alignment between the encoded and decoded sides of an exchange of
meanings. Linguistic theory expands upon this concept employing the term ‘denotation’ to
describe the literal meaning of a sign; conversely, ‘connotation’ refers to less fixed, more
conventionalized and changeable associative meanings (Hall, 1973). Mass communications
research, however, do not use these distinctions. Instead, the terms are used as analytic tools for
distinguishing between the presence of ideology in language but more specifically the extent at
which ideologies and discourses intersect (Hall, 1973). Barthes uses the example of advertising
discourse; at the denotation level the sweater signifies a warm garment and thus the activity of
keeping warm. However, at the connotative level it is possible to associate the advertisement
with winter, a cold day, a fashionable style or even the sub-code of a long autumn walk in the
woods (Barthes, as cited in Hall, 1973). Thus, the connotative level of signifiers refers to the
maps of meaning by which a culture is classified. Hall (1973) notes, however, that connotative
codes are not equal among themselves. By this he means that any culture will impose its
classifications of the social, cultural and political world in varying degrees. The degree at which
this imposition is enforced can be classified into two domains: dominant cultural order or
preferred meanings.
Dominant cultural order is used to describe those cultures wherein there exists a pattern of
preferred readings which have institutional, political and/or ideological order imprinted in them
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
and have subsequently become institutionalized (Hall, 1973). Preferred meanings, on the other
hand, refers to the whole social order embedded in the culture as a set of meanings, practices and
beliefs; the everyday knowledge of how things work (Hall, 1973). In terms of
misunderstandings, which are inevitably going to occur through the distribution of a message, of
course sometimes the audience will simply not understand the message. Often, however,
producers are concerned that the audience has failed to interpret the meaning as they had
intended. In such circumstances, the audience is not operating within either the ‘dominant’ or
‘preferred’ domains. What producers aspire to is: ‘perfectly transparent communication’; instead,
in a situation as described, the producers are confronted with ‘systematically distorted
communication’. As Hall (1973) remarks then, it is important to consider the variant articulations
in which encoding/decoding can be combined, which he categorizes in the following three
hypothetical ways.
The first hypothetical position is the ideal case of ‘perfectly transparent communication’ and is
termed ‘dominant-hegemonic position’. This refers to when the individual takes the meaning
from, for example, an advertisement straight and as intended. There are very few
misunderstandings as the producer and viewer share the same cultural biases. The second
position, termed ‘negotiated code’ is wherein the viewer probably understands the message quite
adequately. The viewer generally accepts the intended meaning, however, resists or interprets the
meaning as a reflection of their experiences and interests. The final position is whereby the
viewer operates within ‘oppositional code’; each viewer understands the meaning set out by the
producer, however, each individual decodes the message differently according to their different
backgrounds. Though they understand the intended meaning, they do not share in the intended
code and subsequently reject the message.
Thus, the image of the immobile viewer sitting on the sofa silently staring at the screen is no
longer an accurate representation or understanding of the audience with which we are concerned
(Livingstone, 2006). Today, the viewer is actively involved in a noisy world of interaction,
multi-tasking both online and offline, creating and receiving messages and communicative as
opposed to silent (Livingstone, 2006). The development of media communications research with
its foundations beginning with the publication of ‘Personal Influence’ is not only mediated by
social contexts. It is observable that media communication is also the subject of interaction
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
within groups, communities and cultures; social, political and economic professionals, in
addition to the personal experiences and interests of the individual with whom the message
producer is concerned.
Further, the purpose of using mass communications research and more notably the work of Katz
and Lazarsfeld and Stuart Hall, as the framework for this study is because of their appropriability
in understanding the process advertisers go through in constructing a message. Advertisers
attempt to have an impact on the viewer, anticipating that the audience will understand the
message coherently, and so will cause some sort of behavior, perception, cognition, or emotional
response in the viewer. Recognizing this process with theoretical grounding allows the
researchers to have a thorough understanding of how the campaigns used in this study have been
created and subsequently interpreted by viewers. The relevancy of these concepts to the research
then is that they shed light on the way in which communication has evolved in the context of
mass media and advertising through the ages, and that we now live in an era where the viewer is
both interactive and communicative in their views and opinions. The audience does not simply
interpret the message as hoped by the advertisers, but rather the constructs of society determine
whether the viewer will accept or reject the intended meaning.
Thus, the concepts discussed bring value to the research in the following ways. Firstly, the
concepts detailed by Katz and Lazarsfeld identify the limited impact of mass media. Without this
understanding, it might have been assumed that mass media communications are totalitarian in
nature, voicing messages to an oppressed audience. However, Katz and Lazarsfeld indicate that
the viewer has instead an active, creative and critical relationship with the media. Indeed, a
critical distance and resistance exists between a heterogeneous public and the powerful
hegemonic mass media. With this, the value brought to the research is the understanding that the
campaigns used will be both questioned and discussed amongst individuals and communities in
society to deduce meaning. The campaign’s messages used in this research will not be
interpreted in isolation; instead the supposed direct flow of mass media influence is in fact
mediated by existing patterns of interpersonal communication in local communities. The
theoretical concepts lend themselves to a greater understanding of how messages and meanings
are perceived in society; through media, communities and public opinion and subsequently
constructed and reconstructed.
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
Secondly, the work of Hall provides an understanding of how the constructed message, which in
the context of this paper will refer to the three print advertising campaigns, goes through a
process before the message itself is interpreted as one of three possible outcomes. Applying the
discussed concepts will allow a thorough understanding of the sequence of events from the point
at which the message is produced by the campaigners, is passed under the discursive rules of
language (encoded), to the process of interpretation and understanding (decoded) by the viewer.
The appropriability of Hall’s model allows the following research to be deciphered with theory.
In other words, in gathering data and through the process of analyzing the respondent’s remarks
or opinions on these campaigns, the theoretical framework discussed here will act as a means of
understanding what process the viewer has gone through to subsequently respond in the manner
they do so.
The concepts will also provide a deeper insight into the way in which the respondent has
interpreted the intended message; whether the encoding and decoding process has been
symmetrical, i.e. ‘perfectly transparent communication’, or misunderstood, ‘systematically
distorted communication’. It will enable the researchers to decipher whether the messages were
misunderstood or understood and whether subsequently, due to personal backgrounds or
experiences, the message has been accepted or rejected. More specifically, the work of Hall
allows the researchers to identify in which way respondents have responded according to the
three hypothetical responses as identified by Hall’s research; these three possible outcomes of
course refer to what Hall describes as ‘dominant-hegemonic position’, ‘negotiated code’ and
‘oppositional code’.
Finally, in analyzing the discourse provided by respondents, the researchers will be able to
determine the impact these campaigns have had on them, and how they have influenced their
thoughts, feelings and emotions. Thus, in understanding the mass communication process as set
out by Katz and Lazarsfeld and Stuart Hall, the interpretation of respondent’s thoughts, feelings
and opinions are enriched through the theoretical groundings of this paper.
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
CHAPTER THREE
Method
In order to address the research gap, the objectives of the study are as follows:
● To explore the different emotional responses to provocative advertising campaigns
● To conceptualize those responses into corresponding themes
In order to satisfy the research question, a mixed method approach was adopted. Described as
“when the results of an investigation employing a method associated with one research strategy
are cross-checked against the results of using a method associated with the other research
strategy,” the approach ensures the findings from one research method can be validated with a
subsequent method to achieve a full picture of the phenomena being investigated (Bryman and
Bell, 2007). In addition, with time and resource limitations, this method has offered a more
complete view, improved the measuring of the phenomena under observation, and enhanced the
richness of data collected (Webb et al., 1966 as cited in Bryman and Bell, 2007).
Employing this research method has allowed for an iterative process of generating inferences,
which have informed the conceptualization of themes by which consumers emotionally respond
to provocative advertising campaigns. In line with Morgan’s four proposed approaches to mixed
methods research, the research first identified the emotional responses of consumers, which
subsequently informed the second stage of the research with which the study is concerned,
before determining the generalizability of respondent’s claims and conceptualizing a number of
recurring themes (Morgan 1998, as cited in Bryman and Bell, 2007 p646).
To overcome the problem of “limitations of asking” and the concern that “people don’t always
do what they say,” it was decided to use a combination of ethnographic methods to provide as
full a picture as possible regarding the consumer’s emotional responses to provocative
advertising (Mariampolski cited in Elliott and Elliot, 2003). As it was necessary to understand
the thoughts, feelings and emotions of respondents, methods of qualitative research which
concern natural language data was deemed the optimal approach. Qualitative data provides “rich
and holistic” descriptions, which can reveal the complexities of respondent reactions (Miles and
Huberman, 1994 as cited in Parry et al., 2013).
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
It has been stated that focus groups can generate new ideas through respondent discussions,
allowing participants to inspire each other and develop live discussions of the subject matter,
however, for the purpose of this research the concern of the study is with the individual’s
uninfluenced opinion of the phenomena under observation (Coolican, 2004 as cited in Parry et
al., 2013). As such, using focus groups would risk respondents becoming conditioned by social
responses and hesitant of voicing their opinions amongst others given the sensitive nature of
provocative campaigns and their underlying shock appeals (Easterby-Smith, Thorpe & Jackson,
2008 p151).
The two selected methods of the mixed method approach adopted for this study are the following
qualitative methods: the first involved a loose approach to netnography, inspired by both
ethnography and netnography elements, and involves online observations and interactions. The
second research method refers to semi-structured interviews. Findings from the former method
were used to inform the question design of latter stage of this research.
In respect of the decided methods used for the study, it was agreed initial research would be
necessary to determine which campaigns would be studied and used in reaching the objective of
classifying viewer’s emotional responses to provocation. As a preliminary step to selecting the
campaigns that would be used in this study, the researchers scanned at length internet articles and
forums. However, given the researchers experience and prior knowledge of controversial
provocative campaigns in recent years, it was agreed to search for responses regarding a number
of these known campaigns. An agreement between the researchers was met regarding the
interpretive nature of this research; it was decided that public opinions would decide whether a
campaign was deemed provocative or not, for example, the researchers were looking specifically
for comments that were provoked in nature, demonstrated shock, or had generated a discussion
of diverse views amongst users of a number of web platforms. Thus, online commenters guided
the researchers to those print advertising campaigns that had generated a significant amount of
buzz and controversy. Analyzing the existing discourse on the website platforms, which will be
discussed, enabled the researchers to determine which existing campaigns had generated shock
amongst viewers, and equally whether that shock had transpired into provocation to voice their
opinions, essential if the researchers were to successfully gather data representing the diverse
emotional responses to provocation. Therefore, the researchers allowed public opinion to inform
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
the research in terms of which advertising campaigns should be used, and would successfully
generate rich data in terms of analyzing emotional responses to provocation.
As a result, six print advertisements representing three campaigns were purposefully selected on
the basis of their provocative nature. The initial research showed consumers to be very
responsive to the three campaigns, which suggested the study would have rich and diverse data
to analyze. A consensus was reached between the researchers that the nature of these campaigns
were both diverse and equally provocative. The campaigns represent three companies: the NHS
“Anti-smoking” campaign, Virgin Mobile’s “Get Hooked” campaign and Benetton’s “UnHate”
campaign. Amongst these print advertisements include a number of shock appeals, namely
disgusting images (NHS), sexual references (Virgin Mobile) and religious taboos (Benetton).
The amount of campaigns that would be used in the study was agreed upon based on the
consensus that three campaigns would generate substantial rich and varied data, more so than
perhaps one or two campaigns, and enough to draw conclusions from for the purpose of this
study. Equally, it was felt that though more than three campaigns would perhaps generate deeper
insights and allow for further analysis of respondents emotional responses to varying shock
appeals, yet time and resource constraints prohibited the researchers from studying a greater
number of campaigns. In addition, the decision to use the selected campaigns was influenced by
the researchers desire to investigate the effects of different shock appeals, thus it was ensured the
three campaigns employed in this study should represent three different shock appeals, as
previously mentioned, disgusting images, sexual references and religious taboos. It was
anticipated that studying the responses to three different shock appeals would provide insight
into how emotional responses differ according to the provocation applied.
An advantage of carrying out this initial task of research allowed the researchers to select those
campaigns which had received ample exposure and generated an abundance of provoked
responses among the public. Taking this preparatory measure ensured the campaigns selected for
the purpose of this paper would demonstrate sufficiently expressive emotional responses for the
research, both in terms of online observations and during the semi-structured interviews. Further,
this step also ensured there would be a generous amount of data available online for observation,
given the vast amount of articles discussing the controversial campaigns.
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
A potential weakness of deciding to use campaigns that received the most controversy and
propaganda exposure meant the researchers were limited to those campaigns that have previously
received analysis through the Marketing literature; both the NHS and United Colors of Benetton
have been heavily praised and criticized for their use of shock appeals. Further, this method also
prohibited the researchers from selecting relatively recent campaigns, given that the diversity and
amount of responses were far fewer and somewhat limited. An additional drawback of selecting
those campaigns with the richest responses was that the researchers were also unable to select
those less known campaigns, which among the researchers were considered extremely
provocative, yet had failed to generate substantial controversy online.
Thus, the researchers were limited to campaigns which have already been frequently discussed,
analyzed and criticized. Equally, it is worth considering that given the attention these campaigns
have received since their release, it was anticipated that interviewees would be likely to
recognize their images and cause; thus removing the element of surprise during the semistructured interviews. It is unsure the strength or weakness this could potentially bring to the
research, however, it is worth considering that future research may seek to determine the
permanency of the effects of these well-known provocative campaigns.
Online Observations
This method employed is inspired by firstly, netnography, a recent development in research and
synonymous with “virtual ethnography,” that is, the observation of online behavior; and
secondly, traditional ethnography (Hine; Kozinet; in Elliott and Elliott, 2003). With the rapid
growth in online usage over the last decade, and the subsequent development of user-generated
content, online observation is considered a viable means of studying the emotional responses of
consumers engaging in provocative advertising campaign discussions. Equally, given the
accessibility of internet forums, that they are usually a public space, online observations and
interactions are a relatively time and resource efficient means of research. The method has the
added benefit that while traditional interactions are short-lived, social interactions online are
saved and archived, providing deep insight into how consumers perceive provocative campaigns
since the campaigns were first released to the public. The domain in which online ethnography
takes place is also less intrusive than other forms of research, and occurs in a setting that has not
been fabricated by the researcher.
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
In observing online communities, it was decided to give attention to those areas of the internet
consumers were gathering and interacting, where consumer responses were most visible and
naturally-occurring. A number of platforms were utilized in this process, namely forums,
LinkedIn discussions, online discussion boards, and responses to articles. The purpose of using a
number of platforms allowed for rich and diverse responses, gathering data from numerous
audiences. For example, the researchers did not want to be limited to those individuals that are
prone to reading The Huffington Post, as this would eliminate parts of the public that do not
interact on this platform. It was decided to gather data from as many sources as possible to
ensure the research captured as many diverse responses as possible. In doing so, the research
would prove more accurate in its representation of the diverse emotional responses consumers
feel to provocative advertising campaigns.
It is important to note that forums and LinkedIn discussion boards were utilized to gain an
understanding from the professional’s point of view. These sources and platforms were aimed at
gaining responses specifically from those that either work or have experience in the field of
Marketing. The researchers desired both immediate responses from the public, and opinions of
those working in the field. Gaining exposure to the opinions of those working in the field
enriched the data from all perspectives, allowing the researchers to gauge the effectiveness of the
provocation even to those regularly exposed to the ploys of marketing. Thus, the platforms used
for this part of the research were numerous, and included: The BBC; The Inspiration Room;
Solopress; CBC; The Guardian; Trendhunter; Ad-Review; AOTW; OSOCIO; The Huffington
Post; The Daily Mail; Ad Week; Creative Review; The Washington Post; MarketingMag; We
Beg To Differ; Beyond.ca; Vancity Buzz; and, TOWLEROAD.
In addition, it was agreed that it would be within online communities that the most provoked
responses would be recordable, since generally speaking those individuals who would comment
on provocative campaigns usually discern a provoked response. In effect, the researchers took a
passive role and were exposed to and observing the life online of people confronted with the
selected advertisements used for this study. In doing so, the researchers were able to collate data
whereby discussants were commenting in a provocative manner. Equally, discussants
demonstrated behavior of both leaving comments that showing their individual emotional
response, and comments in response to previous user’s remarks. In analyzing this environment,
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
the researchers were able to observe an interaction between users, which gave a rich insight into
the diverse opinions that were often in agreement and conflicting. It was also of value to be able
to gauge how conversations escalated to extreme emotional responses, how the discussion
diverged from the purpose of the campaigns, and further analyze how individuals dealt with and
contributed to the discussion, generating controversy and heated debate. Through this approach,
the researchers were able to gather comments from existing discussions that had taken place both
at the immediate release of the campaign, and in the subsequent months whereby the campaigns
were still generating debate. As such, the researchers were successful in gathering rich data for
subsequent analysis.
A limitation of using this technique proved to be the inability to ask respondents to follow up
their remarks. The researchers were not able to question what the viewer meant when they posted
a certain comment, and so the collection of data was very much interpretive in nature and up to
the researcher to decipher in what manner the comment was written. An additional difficulty
faced was the inability to ask the respondent to elaborate on the comment they had left to be able
to gain further insight into their opinion; for example, what exactly about the campaign caused
them to feel the way they feel. The nature of this research prohibits further questioning, and the
researchers had to simply take the statements at face value.
In an attempt to overcome these limitations, it was also decided that the researchers should
engage and interact in forums to probe or prompt fellow users for opinions of the campaigns.
The platforms used in this aspect of the online observation research were Warrior Forum, an
Internet Marketing Forum specializing in discussions concerning internet marketing, eBook
selling and home based business, and Digital Point, which specializes in discussions related to
search engines, including optimization, marketing, tools and other technical aspects. In doing so,
users proved eager to offer their opinions regarding their impressions of the campaigns and so
disclosed their emotional responses. Using these specialized forums generated responses from
individuals with experience and knowledge in the field of advertising. As such, detailed
responses were obtained, which showed that even those working in the field – who are frequently
exposed and familiar with shock appeals – proved equally shocked at the exemplary campaigns
used in this study, with a number of engagers viewing the campaigns for the first time. Using
these platforms proved useful in gathering rich, expert opinions of the shock appeals employed
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
by the companies, and equally shed light on the emotional responses of the users, provoked by
said campaigns.
A difficulty encountered through this process however concerned time delay. Given the limited
amount of time dedicated to the online research, gathering substantial responses from
professionals in the field proved difficult since exposure to the threads would have improved
over time. Thus, the number of comments gathered through the researchers process of interaction
and engagement with viewers proved limited. Equally, it was encountered that when the
researchers attempted to probe commentators into expanding on their answers, the users
frequently did not respond, thus prohibiting the ability to coax the user into expanding on their
emotional responses, preventing attainment of deeper insights into how the campaigns provoked
them into such responses.
An additional difficulty encountered with this method of online research was the uncertainty as
to whether sufficient data had been gathered. However, once it was felt emerging themes were
becoming apparent, it was decided an adequate amount of data had been collected. In addition, it
is difficult to discern who the commentators of the advertising campaigns are. This method of
research does not allow for distinguishing the demographic of the audience and informant
identity is strictly anonymous. Given the global nature of the World Wide Web, it was accepted
that the respondents would be from all walks of life, of various ages and nationalities. This had
the added effect that respondents may prove less inhibited in their response, given the
unidentified nature of forums. Further, netnography is based upon the observation of textual
discourse, therefore interpretations made required the researcher to make assumptions regarding
the trustworthiness and honesty of the commentators. A further limitation of this research is the
inability to determine whether what respondents say, is accurate of how they feel; netnography is
unable to offer the full and rich detail of lived human experience. There is equally the possibility
that commenters may become biased by other commentators when making their own responses
This did not reduce the richness of the data collected however as a number of recurrent opinions
emerged.
From these emerging insights, it was agreed that comments of a similar nature should be
categorized. In doing so, it became apparent that consumers emotional responses to advertising
were varied in nature, yet could be grouped into general responses. It was found that of the three
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
campaigns used in this research, the emerging themes discerned from the data were not panaceas
for all three campaign responses. It became apparent that these themes were dependent upon the
shock appeal used by the campaign provider. Nevertheless, from these insights it was agreed the
emerging themes would inform the questions created for the second stage of the mixed method
approach, semi-structured interviews.
Semi-structured Interviews
To support the findings from the online observation research, interviews were implemented as a
means of supporting the existing data gathered and a way of gaining deeper insights into what
consumers perceive to be their emotional response to the three provocative campaigns. As the
subsequent method used in this mixed method approach, Thompson et al. (1989) state the
interview is one of the most powerful means of achieving an in-depth understanding of another
person’s experiences (Thompson et al. 1989, as cited in Koch, Lindhe, Ljung, 2010 p23). Elliott
and Elliott who state that much of the richest data ethnography captures comes from informal
talk between researcher and informant suggest informal interviews can improve the
understanding of a consumer practice or response (Elliott and Elliott, 2003). Equally, this method
offers an advantage over other forms of ethnography as the informal interview allows the
respondent an element of control in the discussion (Elliott and Elliott, 2003).
Questions used in the interview were derived from the insights provided from the online
observations. A total of twelve questions were used for the three print campaigns and an
additional five questions were asked at the end of the interview to discover an overall view of the
three campaigns when compared. It was agreed between the researchers that the generated
questions would provide sufficient insights into respondents emotional responses, and that any
more than the questions selected would prove both time consuming for the respondent and
unlikely to add additional depth to the research. Though a list of questions were used to guide the
discussion, using the supplementary tool of “bait” allowed the emergence of new ideas. Equally,
following this structure allowed respondents to discuss themes they felt important, allowing
unforeseen ideas to emerge (Alvesson, 2003, p13). Both direct and non-directive questions were
implemented to stimulate the respondents into talking about a particular area of interest.
Respondents were shown two provocative advertisements for each of the campaigns. They were
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
shown them individually and asked the corresponding questions to determine their thoughts and
feelings to each of the printed adverts.
The sample size used was small in number – eight, and contacted based on convenience and
opportunistic behavior of the researcher, as Bryman and Bell observe is often the case in student
research (Bryman and Bell, 2007 p497). Equally, accessibility, availability and time restrictions
were also contributing factors for selecting university students as the study’s sample. Thus, the
sample consisted of international post-graduate students, aged between 21 and 31 years of age, a
sample frequently used in previous research of shock advertising (Vezina and Paul, 1997; Dahl
et al., 2003; Fam and Waller, 2003 as cited in Parry et al., 2013). The students were practicing in
different field of studies and were a mixture of nationalities and ages, and from various social
backgrounds. A brief overview of the respondents is as follows:
Respondent 1 was a female of French-Lebanese nationality and currently a full-time Erasmus
student studying Advertising Communications postgraduate studies. Further, she was twentyfour years old at the time of interviewing.
Respondent 2 was a female of French nationality, aged twenty-one years and a full time
postgraduate student studying Business Law.
Respondent 3 was a male of Greek nationality, aged twenty-eight years and studying
postgraduate Political Science studies full time.
Respondent 4 was a female of Greek nationality, aged twenty-two years and studying a full time
postgraduate degree in Law.
Respondent 5 was a male of Greek nationality, aged thirty-one years and studying a full time
postgraduate degree in Marketing.
Respondent 6 was a female of Czech-Republic nationality, aged twenty-six years and studying a
full time postgraduate degree in Marketing.
Respondent 7 was female of Thai nationality, aged thirty-two years and studying a full time
postgraduate degree in International Marketing.
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
Respondent 8 was a male of Finish nationality, aged twenty-four years and studying a full time
postgraduate degree in Geography.
As students were invited personally to participate in the study, they had the opportunity to
decline the invite. Students were equally aware of the topic under analysis and were informed
that some images and themes may be sensitive in nature. With this in mind, respondents were
made to feel comfortable in sharing their views and were informed anonymity would be upheld
for the purpose of the research. The duration of the interviews varied between thirty-minutes and
one-hour in length, depending on the willingness of the respondent to disclose additional
information to the structured questions asked of them. Probing played a significant role where
respondents were hesitant to expand on their answers. The setting for the interviews was in a
private room, so both respondent and interviewer would not be disturbed. As regards to the
interviewer, the interviews were carried out separately by two researchers, with one researcher
interviewing three respondents and the other interviewing five. Recordings were made of each of
the interviews and subsequently transcribed so findings from both interviewees could be crosscompared and analyzed.
The overall process of finding respondents, and organizing times and locations which would suit
both the student and researcher proved time consuming in the context of the amount of time
allocated to this research project. However, given that the occupations of the respondents were
students who understand the value that semi-structured interviews can bring to the process of
data collection, the interviewees were willing to participate in the study without the researchers
employing incentives, which are occasionally used by academics when trying to gather
respondents to interview. As regards to the print advertisements shown in correspondence with
the necessary questions, it was initially decided not to reveal the company or organization of the
campaign. However, it emerged that it was imperative to the research findings that the cause,
product or company should be revealed to gain as thorough understanding of the viewer’s
emotional response as possible.
A further limitation of the study in question concerns respondent’s answers. Since the
phenomena under observation concerns the viewer’s emotional response, their verbal account of
how they felt when viewing the printed advertisements may not be an accurate representation of
their exact emotional response. For example, there may have been difficulties in verbally
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
expressing the exact emotion roused by the campaigns. This is a difficult limitation to overcome
in the study of emotional response. In addition, time restraints during the interview prohibited
delving deeper into the emotional responses recorded, which may have equally enriched the data
collected. The skill of the interviewer is also a potential limitation of this study; the interviewers
may have unconsciously given out signals or cues that guided the respondents to give the
interviewer expected answers. Though semi-structured interviews are considered high in validity,
given that they allow the respondent to discuss something in detail and depth, the interviewer
cannot be sure the respondent’s answers to their questions are entirely truthful in nature.
Furthermore, upon completion of the interviews, the task of transcribing the discussion was met
with some difficulties. Despite using sufficient devices to record respondents’ responses, it was
at times difficult to be sure precisely what the respondent had said given the frequency of
hesitation or pauses in answering the questions. It was also an objective of the researchers that
body language or gestures should be recorded in accordance with the respondents responses to
the questions asked of them. Given the inexperience of the researchers in conducting interviews,
this process proved very difficult to carry out discreetly in the company of the respondents, and
so it was decided that doing so would prove detrimental to the flow of conversation.
However, upon analysis of the transcribed interviews, it emerged the findings supported the
original themes discovered through the netnography research. Through a process of coding, the
findings were further analyzed and organized into eight succinct themes identified as those
common responses exhibited by consumers in the discussion of the three campaigns used in this
study. Overall the research carried out was considered both thorough and insightful, playing a
pivotal role in addressing the objective of this study, and attempts to satisfy the research
question.
On reflection, the researchers’ expectations were that the semi-structured interviews would
provide the most insightful responses. This however proved not to be the case. Indeed it was
found that the online observations boasted the richest and most diverse responses, perhaps due to
their detachment from the researchers and their lack of awareness that their comments may be
analyzed for research purposes. Though the interviews lent their support to the initial findings
gathered through the online observations, this is not to say that they did not provide value to the
research and analysis carried out. The questions asked were more direct in nature and allowed for
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
expansion on answers, which as discussed, the online observations prohibited. Further, through
combining both these research methods it was anticipated that the quality and richness of the
data would be improved. It was agreed between the researchers that indeed, both elements of the
research design proved crucial in gaining a thorough understanding of the phenomena being
analyzed. Thus, the data gathered ensured the subsequent analysis process was as accurate a
depiction of the public’s emotional responses to provocative advertising campaigns as possible.
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CHAPTER FOUR
Campaigns Used for the Purpose of the Study
In this chapter cases used for the research will be presented. Moreover the images used will be
described briefly, and the sources where the images have been highly discussed became the
object of controversy shall be explained.
1. Case: The National Health Service (NHS) Anti-smoking advertisements
The NHS is the world’s largest publicly funded health service working by the principle that
healthcare should be available to all the of public regardless their social standing. The
organization provides all kinds of medical help and procedures, as well as ensuring health related
information is readily available if needed. One of their activities is to bring awareness to the
negative effects of harmful habits such as unhealthy diets or smoking (NHS, 2014). In this paper,
two advertisements used to inform public about the negative effects of smoking have been used.
The first advertisement shows a young female with a hook in her lip. The image has a tag line
stating the number of cigarettes consumed per year by the average smoker and encourages the
audience to get “unhooked” in reference to the image. This advertising campaign was introduced
in 2007 and according to BBC news broke records as to the amount of complaints received
(BBC, 2007).
The controversial opinions concerning this advertisement campaign peeked in the blog
“Solopress.com” where commentators were emotionally discussing its purpose, meaning,
controversy and impact.
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
Source: http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2007/get-unhooked/
The second advertisement used for NHS anti-smoking campaign was released in 2009 and this
time the image shows a beaten man with the tagline “Smoking beats up your inside” and “Fight
back. Quit now” According to The Guardian.com (2009), executives of this campaign have been
testing it and received positive feedback – the audience found the images harsh but appropriate
for the cause. After the article comes to a close, comments and discussions about the image used
for the advertisement and its shocking appeal as well as its impact on the target audience were
highly discussed.
33
Source: http://osocio.org/message/fight_back_quit_now/
Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
2. Case: United Colors of Benetton campaign “unHate”
United Colors of Benetton is clothing company based in Italy, nowadays with a network of 6000
stores all around the world. The company states – “Benetton Group aims at all times to combine
economic growth with social commitment, competitiveness, care for the environment, business
and ethics.” (Benetton group, 2014) The company already has a history of using controversial
advertising and is even called a pioneer of this type of appeal. In 2011 the company launched one
more controversial campaign called “Unhate” which uses images of respectful leaders, famous
around the world kissing each other, while being the ambassadors of absolutely different
ideologies.
For this research, the two campaign advertisements chosen show different types of leaders. The
first image shows the Roman Catholic Pope kissing the Egyptian Iman. This picture has been
selected due to it questioning taboos and challenging approach to the religious sector of the
audience, inviting them to discuss certain existing stereotypes and stigmatic attitudes. The slogan
at the top of the picture announces the main tag line of the campaign “Unhate”
Source:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2062423/Benetton-Unhate-advert-Pope-kissingimam-withdrawn-Vatican-calls-disrespectful.html.
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
The second same campaign image shows two state leaders – US president B. Obama and Hu
Jintao kissing. This image was challenging another part of the audience who have not been so
drastically affected and concerned about religious appeal. It is not just political attitudes that
have been challenged, but also national and racial issues have been brought to the surface.
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2062423/Benetton-Unhate-advert-Pope-kissing-imam-withdrawnVatican-calls-disrespectful.html.
Both of the pictures created a huge buzz amongst the public, generating discussions not just
about the ethics of the company, but its effect on different audience members. All the major
news platforms observed and discussed the campaign (both supporting and critical) as well as
those exposed to these images, who have been the major target market of the campaign. Vast
discussions have been observed after the huffingtonpost.com article, where the advertising
campaign was enlightened. The public exploded; expressing their feelings which was primarily
confusion mixed with anger and appreciation (huffingtonpost.com, 2012).
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
3. Case – Virgin Mobile “Hook up fearlessly” campaign
The company is famous not just for its variety of products and services, but also for its
extravagant, charismatic, risk-loving founder personality, which always differentiates a company
from its competitors. The company states on their official website “Virgin is a leading
international investment group and one of the world's most recognised and respected brands.”
Virgin Mobile is one of Virgin Group enterprise branches operating in ten countries including
USA, South Africa, Australia, Canada, India, parts of Europe and South America. In 2009,
Virgin mobile in Canada released an advertising campaign showing couples at intimate
moments. Maybe the campaign wouldn’t have cause such a stir had they not used images of
same sex couples kissing and wearing angel wings, and finished up with the tag line saying
“Hook up fearlessly”. The advertising campaign had been launched in Canada for a season
holiday occasion, with the purpose of introducing new broadband Internet connection options for
mobile phones.
Source: http://super--pop.blogspot.se/2009/12/virgin-mobile-canada-hook-up-fearlessly.html.
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
Discussions heated up about using both the angel image and same sex people kissing, as well as
the issue of showing too much exposure and eroticism in the pictures. This controversy even lead
to ban of the images in certain cities. The heated discussions between customers have been
observed in “We beg to be differ!” online forum.
In the first image of the campaign are two young men, one with big white angel wings kissing
the other while he is half sitting on the office table, finished up with the tag line “Hook up
fearlessly”.
The second image shows a couple, where the girl is also wearing huge white angel wings, kissing
a man in the elevator. Even though this image is not particularly challenging of specific
stereotypes and tolerance, it also have been observed as an object of discussion for using erotica
and has subsequently been removed from specific places due to customers complains.
Source: http://www.marketingmag.ca/news/marketer-news/virgin-wants-consumers-to-hook-up-fearlessly-12322
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
CHAPTER FIVE
Analysis
Following the research, the netnography comments were documented and the interview
recordings transcribed by both researchers in order to organize the data gathered and evaluate the
emotional reactions towards each of the provocative campaigns, the NHS, Virgin Mobile and
United Colors of Benetton. Whereupon comments of agreement or disagreement occurred
allowed for convergence of ideas to surface (Guba, 1978 as cited in Parry et al., 2013). Thus the
data analysis procedure enabled ideas, themes and concepts to emerge, which allowed the
researcher to allocate labels to parts of the data. In doing so, the researchers were able to
categorize those comments of similarity into themes. The following headings provided lay claim
to the most prominent emotions demonstrated by both forum users online and the interviewees.
They demonstrate the reactions to the three print advertising campaigns used as examples of
provocative advertising.
To improve the flow of this section, the defined themes have been categorized into two subchapters: extreme reactions and mild reactions. The extreme reaction subchapter stands for the
themes that identify stronger emotional reactions than usual and high personal involvement. The
mild reactions subchapter refers to the themes that expressed positive or negative emotions and
perceptions, but the level of emotions did not appear strong, or had a low personal involvement.
The eight themes to be discussed will be in the following order:
Third Person will refer to the nature in which respondents have taken a third person viewpoint
to project their experience of the campaign onto what they believe the effects would be on either
the greater public, or the target audience.
Victimization will be used to describe a person’s opinion whereby they feel singled out and are
subject to cruel or unjust treatment.
Deflecting refers to causing something to change direction or deviate from the intended purpose;
it will refer to the discussant deflecting or digressing from the campaigns intentions.
Extreme Responses refers to comments and interview answers where respondents demonstrated
overreaction and dramatization of certain advertisements, its message and execution.
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
Desensitized will represent those commentators who expressed slight or no reaction to
provocations and controversial images, that’s not to say the campaigns had no effect,
respondents rather responded by showing no particular emotions towards exposed images.
Rejection of the Company/Organization describes comments that after seeing certain
advertising campaigns reflect negative associations that as a response is going to be transferred
as an action of ignoring the company and its products.
Appreciation refers to positive comments that show viewers have understood the intended
advertisement message, and are interested and content with the advertisements execution. A vast
theme, it also includes positive feelings and emotions towards advertisements, which led the
viewer to create of positive associations about the brand and company.
Uncertainty/Anxiety refers to an expression of general negativity regarding the print advertising
campaigns used. Negative feelings about the advertisements can be determined by a number of
attributes, but will largely concern the viewers: confusion over message, doubt of campaigns
impact, belief that campaign execution is inappropriate, opinion regarding stereotyping, and
cynicism that provocation has been used for the sake of provoking.
The findings will be discussed as follows under the relevant headings, with words and
paraphrases chosen to illustrate each theme as follows.
EXTREME REACTIONS
This subchapter includes three themes that have been defined as showing strong emotional
engagement and personal involvement: ”Victimization”, “Extreme responses” and “Rejection of
the Company/Organization” Encoding, aroused emotions and perception under this theme have
shown that those individuals exposed to shock-vertising reacted stronger than what is considered
usual, creating a personal bond with the advertisement that led to certain associations and
responses.
Victimization
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
In the discussion of the emotional response “victimization”, it is necessary to make clear
precisely what it meant by the term used in this context. The term “victimization” will be used to
describe a person’s opinion whereby they feel singled out and are subject to cruel or unjust
treatment. In the context of the research carried out, the emerging theme of victimization became
most apparent in the advocating message implored by the UK’s National Health Service through
their anti-smoking campaign. That is not to say the campaigns of Benetton and Virgin did not
also rouse such emotions, but it is possible that the personal and direct nature of the NHS’
campaign, which urges smokers to quit touched a nerve with viewers.
The subject of the campaign, the smoker, and the negative connotations associated with being a
smoker sparked the following response from one forum user, “mulluski”:
“This advert is sick, and I for one along with many others are sick of this witch-hunt and I am
sure many of your (readers) are.” (http://www.theguardian.com/, 2009)
It is unknown whether the discussant is a smoker or not; regardless of this stance the user
demonstrates disgust at the smoker being singled out for their addiction. Referring to the
provocation of the campaign as “sick” and the campaign to target smokers as equally “sick”
clarifies the extreme disgust felt through the targeting of the smoker. The user expresses their
personal opinion but also feels assured to add that they believe they are not alone in this stance,
“I for one along with many others”. Adding the term “witch-hunt” to describe the NHS’
intentions clearly indicates the user feels the smoker is being singled out. The reader has been
highly provoked by this campaign, responding negatively to its advocacy message to give up
smoking.
Questioned on their feelings toward the NHS campaign, an interviewee states the following:
“I mean, we can smoke if we want it’s a personal choice so by always like…making people
feeling like they’re doing something wrong...I think it is not normal.”
Highlighting that smoking is a personal choice, the discussant goes on to say that the
advertisement makes people feel “like they’re doing something wrong.” This indicates the
interviewee perceives the advertisement as a victimization of smokers. They also add that they
40
Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
think “it is not normal” highlighting the injustice of treating smokers in such a manner. Another
interviewee, a smoker, remarks on their feelings after seeing the NHS campaign:
“Guilty, because I smoke… Stupid...because I smoke.”
The feelings roused from the campaign indicate clearly the feeling of victimization for being a
smoker. Guilt and stupidity are emotions felt from being subjected to this campaign as a smoker.
Another interviewee, also a smoker shares a similar response to the advertisement campaigns:
“They make you feel naive that you smoke and you are hooked like a fish. And the beaten one
makes you feel that you are weak. You got beaten, so you are weak.”
This statement by a respondent when questioned as to how they feel after viewing the
advertisements by the NHS shows that as a smoker, they are made to feel “naïve” “hooked like a
fish,” you are “weak” and you “got beaten, so you are weak”. These allegations indicate the
discussant has been made to feel singled out and inferior. The way in which they describe the
effects of the campaign are indicative of feeling victimized by the message broadcasted by the
NHS.
Adding to this view is another user, “Vispi”, who titles their forum comment “NO SMOKING:
we don’t want you here,” which is in itself indicative of the nature of their discussion as follows:
“The smoking ban was the single most effective vehicle for getting people to quit – more than the
negative campaigning seen everywhere. Deep down all of us know of the perils associated with
smoking anyway. A clever move, just short of making it illegal, (to ban it from every public
place) ostracises the smoker. This signal puts it on par with society not tolerating other forms of
drugs. So for me the best poster campaign has been the humble “No Smoking Sign” as if a
smoker can’t indulge his habit in a relaxing place as he wishes, it takes part of the pleasure
away and at the same times sends the signal “society does not want you around”. Pretty
powerful stuff, as often people value their 5 minutes of liberty more than what might happen to
their health in 30 years’ time.” (http://blog.solopress.com/, 2012)
Equally, this user shares the opinion that the smoker is being singled out. First stating that
“negative campaigning seen everywhere” has proven less effective in getting people to quit than
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
the smoking ban, the discussant proceeds to explain that the public “know of the perils associated
with smoking anyway,” reducing the NHS anti-smoking campaign to nothing more than a
reminder of what is already known and again highlighting media’s limited impact. For this
individual, elaborate campaigns are no match for the humble “No Smoking Sign,” which they
believe to be the best poster campaign, quite possibly because it is considered less intrusive than
shock campaigns fashioned by the NHS in recent years. Interestingly, this is the type of sign Hall
(1973) refers to as ‘dominant culture’, the type of sign that has been institutionalized by culture.
Vispi goes on to explain that with laws just short of making smoking illegal, the smoker is
becoming both ostracized and confronted with the message that “society does not want you
around”. Such campaigns and laws are effectively robbing people of their ability to “indulge” in
their habit in a relaxing place, the “pleasure” in doing so and equally their “5 minutes of liberty”.
The viewer claims ostracizing the smoker puts smoking on par with society’s intolerability for
other forms of drugs; a farfetched idea when one considers the collection of drugs that are
currently illegal, raising the question as to whether society has indeed gone too far in penalizing
the smoker. The discussant finalizes their statement by drawing attention to the power of
campaigns such as those used by the NHS and supporting laws, which disable the smoker from
smoking in public places by stating that smokers are losing their right to autonomy and the
freedom to smoke, which ultimately smokers value disproportionately to their health in 30 years’
time.
The issue of smokers being singled out by this campaign is supported by the views of fellow
forum users; one user by the name of Carolyn, states the following:
“Nowadays, with all the publicity, not to mention the cost, I cannot understand anyone who
smokes.” (http://blog.solopress.com/, 2012)
Carolyn’s inability to “understand anyone who smokes” as regards to the publicity given to the
effects of smoking, not to mention “the cost” of the addiction demonstrates resentment towards
smokers. Another user, KingR, demonstrates equal antipathy for smokers:
“I'm guessing the more cynical comments come from smokers… Maybe hospitals would be able
to concentrate on keeping their wards virus free if they weren't over run with patients suffering
from avoidable smoking related illness'” (http://www.theguardian.com/, 2009)
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
Laying claim to smokers being responsible for the “cynical comments” in the discussion only
adds to the recurring theme that smokers are made to feel victimized, both by the NHS’
campaign and individuals who are nonsmokers. Implying that smokers are a distraction from
keeping hospitals virus free illustrates this particular user’s resentment towards the smokers
within society. On the whole, the campaign has affected this user, KingR, insomuch as rousing
emotions of contempt for the smoker and victimizing them as a group of individuals responsible
for overrunning hospitals with their “avoidable smoking related” illnesses. It is possible then that
this user has understood the intended message, but has decoded it in accordance with their
personal experience and views.
Equally, one interviewee remarks the following:
“I feel that it’s so true and...I'd like people to see the damage they're doing to themselves. No I
think it would be good that smokers realize what it does to themselves… The only is then yeah,
then we pay for them. I mean the state and our taxes go to smokers….main message [from the
campaign], umm...stop being stupid. Yeh just stop being stupid, stop fucking your life.”
The statement from this interviewee shows disdain for the smoker. They believe the campaign is
“so true” and proclaim a desire for people “to see the damage they’re doing to themselves”. The
respondent further adds that “we pay for them. I mean the state and our taxes for the smokers”,
displeased that the public have to fund the health effects smokers experience as a result of their
habit. The message they perceive from the campaign strongly reinforces the view they have set
about vocalizing, claiming that smokers should “stop being stupid. Yeh, just stop being stupid,
stop fucking your life”. This stance reinforces the view expressed by a number of discussants
that smokers are somewhat inferior, giving rise to the theme of victimization.
Smokers, however, are not entirely without support with discussants identifying the campaign as
victimization and condemning the campaign as a “hate crime”. The discussant, mulluski, adds
the following:
“Non-smokers do die, far younger than myself. Why are you helping to create such hatred? How
is that healthy? Forbidden fruit is appealing to the youngsters, we all know that.”
(http://www.theguardian.com/, 2009)
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
This user draws explicit attention to the fact that non-smokers are not exempt from mortality
despite their preference not to smoke. Describing smoking as a “forbidden fruit” draws upon the
simple fact that people are inherently predisposed to falter in their life choices, implying that
“youngsters” may be more inclined to do so. Inferring that “we all know that [forbidden fruit is
appealing to the youngsters],” suggests this user has also faced attraction to some undesirable
habit, but equally believes people as a whole are not immune to the temptation of forbidden fruit.
Raising the question “why are you helping to create such hatred?” finalizes this individuals
opinion that though perhaps smoking, likened to forbidden fruit, is not the best life choice – is it
necessary to condemn and create hatred towards those who choose to smoke?
The forum user Niklow draws attention to those responsible for causing this perceived hatred felt
against smokers, stating the following:
“Maybe it should be reported to the Police and the CPS as a hate crime against smokers? If you
made such a campaign against ethnic minorities you would soon have your collar felt.”
(http://www.theguardian.com/, 2009)
This user implies that if the nature of this campaign diverted to target ethnic minorities, the
creators of such a campaign would certainly be penalized. This raises the question as to why
smokers are being stigmatized, singled out and made victims of a potential “hate crime”. The
discussant further adds that perhaps the campaign should be reported to the Police, indicating
this individual’s particular outrage at such a campaign and the unnecessary victimization of
smokers. This suggests the user has understood the campaigner’s intended message, but the
decoding process has not been perfectly symmetrical as they have rejected the messages
intentions. Another user, KinFre, reiterates Niklow’s sentiments:
“This piece of aggression is a very accurate symbolic representation of the sum total of the antismoker bully campaign against ‘filthy smokers. It is an anti-smoker wet dream of how they would
like to deal with those who continue to stick two fingers up at them. This says to me – How much
more abuse are smokers prepared to take from this cabal of jackbooted yobs, QUIT believing in
anti-smoker ‘help, buy a tin of spray paint to expose their true hidden nature, refuse to be bullied
ever again and FIGHT the arrogant Bas****s !!” (http://www.theguardian.com/, 2009)
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
Deeming the campaign “aggressive” and an “accurate” representation of the bullying campaign
against “filthy smokers” is indicative of a strong emotional response to the NHS’s quit smoking
campaign. The user continues to demonstrate their provoked response by rhetorically asking
“how much more abuse are smokers prepared to take from this cabal of jackbooted yobs”.
Describing the campaign as abusive once again illustrates a sense of victimization of the smoker.
“Refuse to be bullied ever again” and advocating smokers “FIGHT the arrogant Bas****s!!”
emphasizes this individuals exasperated view that smokers are, and have been repeatedly
scrutinized and further, penalized for their choice to smoke. On par with the accusation of acute
aggression, one user, Gabriele, goes as far as describing the campaign as overlooking violence
against smokers:
“The anti-smoking lobby has gone way, way too far. This is completely sick. It’s essentially
condoning violence against smokers. This constitutes a hate crime.” (http://osocio.org/, 2009)
Describing the campaign advocators as having gone “way, way too far” demonstrates this user’s
exasperation. Adding that the campaign is both “sick” and condones “violence against smokers”
enriches their strong held view that the campaign “constitutes a hate crime”. This discussant
reveals that they feel the smoker is being singled out and attacked for their preference to smoke.
Another user, Wlpatriot, agrees with discussant Gabriele, stating:
“Hate crime indeed! These people should be locked up for promoting this kind of hatred! This
kind of thing is really happening to smokers who are forced outside against the will of most pub
owners and this is promoting this very behavior. Lock them up and throw away the key!”
(http://www.theguardian.com/, 2009)
Stating smokers are “forced against their will” highlights this viewer’s opinion that smokers are
in effect being smothered by those responsible for the campaign. Adding that smokers are forced
to smoke outside “against the will of most pub owners” implies that the force of this “hate
crime” lies not with the public or bar owners. Wlpatriot indicates that it is indeed those
responsible for the campaign, namely the Government owned National Health Service, who are
“promoting this very behavior,” by which they mean the exclusion of smokers from public space
in pubs. The user finalizes their statement with the exclamation and desire to “lock them up and
throw away the key!” This strong emotional response demonstrates the user’s disgust and
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
outrage at the treatment of smokers; implying they are ostracized from smoking in public places,
not by those who own the premises but instead the Government, indicating the feeling of
victimization. In agreement that it is indeed the state responsible for this singling out of smokers
is the following discussant, helend498, who declares:
“So now the state is sponsoring hate and encouraging violence against millions of its citizens
with tax-payer's monies. How low has this country stooped?” (http://www.theguardian.com/,
2009)
Expressing explicitly that the state is “sponsoring and encouraging violence” implies that this
discussant has experienced a strong emotional response to the campaign. Perceiving the
advertisement as advocacy of violence against smokers, the tools for which have been funded by
taxpayers monies, illustrates the injustice this user feels regarding the victimization of the
smoker, who collectively are “millions of [the state’s] citizens,” and thus, equal contributors of
tax payments. The user draws their statement to a close targeting not the NHS explicitly, but in
fact the country as a whole questioning “how low has this country stooped?” as regards to the
treatment of smokers.
An additional residing sentiment, namely exaggeration, is felt by discussants in the debate
surrounding the victimization of smokers; this is detailed by the following users Gabriele and
MarieC:
“Also, this blows the effects of one cigarette so vastly, absurdly out of proportion that it’s
probably doing more harm to the anti-smokers than good.” (http://osocio.org/, 2009)
“It would suit the NHS better to concentrate their efforts cleaning up our hospitals and rid them
of the many virus infections that actually CAN attack and kill patients whilst in their care. This is
disgusting
and
another
example
of
exaggerated
propaganda
about
smoking.”
(http://www.theguardian.com/, 2009)
The presiding sentiments are indicative that the campaign rouses emotions of disbelief. The users
go as far as describing the proposition as “absurd” and “disgusting”. Recounting the campaign as
a disproportionate representation of “the effects of one cigarette” and “another” example of
“exaggerated propaganda about smoking” further fueling the belief that smokers are
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
continuously subjected to ongoing campaigns condoning their addiction. Claiming that the
campaign is “probably doing more harm [to the anti-smokers] than good” suggests that
exaggerating the effects of smoking may also be encouraging anti-smoking sentiments amongst
those who dislike the addiction. Lastly, the statement expressed by the latter user is that of a
direct attack on the NHS; the discussant claims the NHS would be better off if they concentrated
their efforts on “cleaning up our hospitals” and ridding them of the “many virus infections that
actually CAN attack and kill patients”. Emphasizing on viruses that actually “CAN” attack and
kill patients indicates this user believes that the NHS should first take a look at the service they
deliver, the issues that are currently challenging hospitals and perhaps suggests a refocus of
attention to viruses that are more aggressive and fatally threatening than smoking.
In addition to criticizing the state for the victimization of smokers, discussants also remark that
smokers are unequivocally being disproportionately targeted as compared to those experiencing
other addictions that equally cost the NHS and the state. The users, Christopher and Gabriele,
comment:
“For some reason it’s acceptable to lay a guilt trip or dire warning on a smoker and less so on
someone who’s clinically obese. Funny thing that, because we both have addictions, we both cost
the NHS a fortune, and we both need to make some lifestyle changes for our own, and other
people’s good, yet only the smokers are being told that with any frequency.”
(http://blog.solopress.com/, 2012)
“Good God, I’ve just about had it with the antismoking hype… One could think smoking is the
second coming of the Antichrist. Strangely enough, no one cares about drinking… there are
young kids falling over drunk, there are people killed by drunk drivers - and people beaten to a
pulp by other drunk people. But that’s not a problem apparently. Give me a break.”
(http://osocio.org/, 2009)
The sentiments highlight the victimization of smokers compared to other categorized addictions.
Christopher condemns the prevailing acceptance that laying “a guilt trip or dire warning” on a
smoker is felt to be ok, when compared to other addictions such as the clinically obese receive
far fewer challenging messages. The user criticizes the frequency with which those responsible
for broadcasting messages target smokers, and that being that both addictions cost the “NHS a
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
fortune” the frequency with which smokers are targeted is unjust. The latter statement provided
by Gabriele refers to the campaign as “antismoking hype” and through the exclamation of “Good
God! I’ve just about had it” demonstrates a tiresome attitude towards the repeated stigmatization.
Equally, this user draws attention to another frowned upon behavior - irresponsible alcohol
consumption. The user remarks “one could think smoking is the second coming of the
Antichrist” before commenting on the problems alcohol fuel, and yet “that’s not a problem
apparently”. The discussants demonstrate a provoked reaction to the condemnation of smokers,
further supporting the finding that both smokers and nonsmokers alike feel those that perpetuate
this habit are victimized by their peers, their state and their country.
When victimization as an emotional response is considered in the context of the remaining two
campaigns, it is conceived that occurring “victimization” concerns not just on an individual
level, but also towards stigmatized groups or communities.
One recurring discussion discovered through the research of Benetton’s campaign is of
individuals proclaiming both anti-religion and pro-religion views. One discussant, John, airs his
views as follows:
“Anything that upsets the Vatican has to be a good thing and of course they, and all the other
uptight reactionaries with their knickers in a twist, have played right into Benetton's hands by
kicking up a fuss and thus generating much more publicity than ads alone ever could.”
(http://www.dailymail.co.uk/, 2011)
Focusing attention specifically on the Vatican demonstrates this viewer feels the campaign has
produced a positive outcome. Claiming “anything that upsets the Vatican has to be a good thing”
indicates John’s view as one which is not in agreement with that of the Vatican. It can be
assumed John is not Roman Catholic and indeed possesses an anti-Catholicism view, advocating
the upset of the Catholic Church. The discussant further remarks that equally, “all the other
uptight reactionaries with their knickers in a twist” have contributed to the success of Benetton’s
campaign “generating much more publicity than ads alone ever could”. With this concluding
statement, John victimizes these “uptight reactionaries” by claiming those affected by the
Benetton UnHate campaigns are in fact responsible for the generated publicity.
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
An additional number of remarks display anti-Catholicism sentiments and victimize the Catholic
Church, though they have had no hand in the creation of the Benetton campaign. The following
remarks, contributed by users Axel, the runt of the litter, ThomasMc and Jonathan discern
contempt for the Church:
“I never thought the day would come when I would find myself in total agreement with the
Vatican.” (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/, 2011)
“I really don’t care what the Vatican has to say or do.” (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/,
2011)
“Of course the Vatican objects. Hate is the only thing the Pedophile Church has left to offer.”
(http://www.adweek.com/, 2011)
“The pope is making the world a safer place for pedophiles around the world.”
(http://www.creativereview.co.uk/, 2011)
These remarks clearly indicate the victimization of the Church; one user exclaims in surprise at
having found themselves “in agreement with the Vatican” – that the advertising campaign is
offensive. This suggests this individual usually distances themselves from the Vatican and most
likely disagrees with their beliefs; as a result, the user is surprised to find they share the same
view. A further comment “I really don’t care what the Vatican has to say or do” illustrates once
more this user’s disapproval and implied resentment for the Church. The final remarks describe
the Church as the “Pedophile Church” and claim that “the Pope is making a safer place for
pedophiles;” it is clear to see the negativity witnessed through these sentiments isolate and single
out the Church and those who count themselves a Catholic. The emotional response to the
campaign has generated contempt and has subsequently lead viewers to viewing the Church with
distaste.
Equally, one interviewee when discussing their impressions of the Benetton campaign remarked
as follows:
“Like I duno about the reactions about the Vatican…I felt that...I'm happy that they're not
happy.”
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
Expressing joy that the Vatican may have been offended by the campaign, “I’m happy that
they’re not happy” this discussant confirms that they are not in support of Catholicism. These
disdainful remarks, however, are in contrast to the following discussant, an individual with faith,
Truth Hurts:
“Oi Atheists......... there's a few of you and billions of us (people WITH faith) don't get cocky!”
(http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/, 2011)
The discussant addresses the Atheist population and threateningly declares “there’s a few of you
and billions of us”. The viewer is vocalizing their concern that atheists are appearing too
outspoken in their views “don’t get cocky!” Truth Hurts clearly indicates their indignation
concerning the previous sentiments regarding the Catholic Church and the Vatican, their
discrimination and victimization of this discussants faith. The viewer, ravary, adds their opinion:
“The ad campaign is offensive for many reasons, at the top of the list is it insults many people
purely for corporate greed, and perpetuates the myth that religions promote hatred.”
(http://www.adweek.com/, 2011)
Defending religious groups, this user points the finger of blame at “corporate greed” for
encouraging the victimization of religion and the “myth” that it promotes hatred. Directing the
focus back to the company responsible for this campaign, this user does not become get caught
up in the residing sentiments that see fit to condemn the Church; instead, this individual remains
engaged in the campaign and those responsible for it, identifying that is it “offensive for many
reasons” without scapegoating either Atheists or those with faith. In effect, this individual
disagrees with and defends the victimization of the Church.
Extreme responses
As the reason for choosing these three particular advertising campaign cases was due to their
perception in the media as shocking and provocative, gathered data for research brought a wide
range of extreme responses. It must be mentioned that in this analysis “extreme responses” will
be referred to as the comments and interview answers where respondents were overreacting to
the advertisement, its message and execution. These extreme responses demonstrating high
involvement with the advertisement and a high level of appeal. In addition, it can be said that
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
advertisements and their perceptions (created and understood by the viewer himself) are
affecting the most sensitive groups for the following reasons: religion, taboos, sex, stereotypes,
fear, diseases. All of these sensitive factors were identified in the comments and interview
responses for all three advertising campaigns, since the campaigns were purposefully chosen for
their controversial nature.
As an example, a situation arose when one of the biggest online marketing forums deleted the
researchers thread for gathering opinions about shock advertising. Reasons given were due to its
inappropriate content (to visualize the theme, the researchers used the same case images as in the
online observation research and interviews). Despite this response, the remainder of the forums
and online platforms used were interested in the theme and gave a wide range of responses. It is
clear then that personal perception of the images and associations with them play a major role
deciding what is ‘appropriate’ and what is not.
Moving forward with “extreme responses’, whilst observing comments about NHS anti- smoking
campaign, the commentator calling himself ‘KinFree wrote:
‘This piece of aggression is a very accurate symbolic representation of the sum total of the antismoker bully campaign against ‘filthy smokers. It is an anti-smoker wet dream of how they would
like to deal with those who continue to stick two fingers up at them.
It could also be the anti-smoker video answer to the question If you discovered a formula that
made you invisible, how would you use that ability to ‘help smokers?
This says to me – How much more abuse are smokers prepared to take from this cabal of
jackbooted yobs, QUIT believing in anti-smoker ‘help, buy a tin of spray paint to expose their
true hidden nature, refuse to be bullied ever again and FIGHT the arrogant Bas****s !!’
(http://www.theguardian.com/, 2009)
It is not known if the person is a smoker or not, but by the angriness expressed by words used to
define anti-smokers, and attacking attitude towards nonsmokers makes clear that this person felt
offended and insulted by the campaign. Expressed aggression and encouragement to fight shows
that the person felt attacked by the advertisement immediately and feels quite annoyed by this
theme being raised in the public again.
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
The other participant in the discussion named WIpatriot writes:
“Hate crime indeed! These people should be locked up for promoting this kind of hatred! This
kind of thing is really happening to smokers who are forced outside against the will of most pub
owners and this is promoting this very behavior. Lock them up and throw away the key!”
(http://www.theguardian.com/, 2009)
Again, it is not known if the commentator is a smoker or not, however from this response it is
possible to say that the person feels this advertisement is promoting certain discrimination
against smokers and even encouraging hate. As the respondent writes “hate crime indeed” it is
obvious that they interpret this advertising as a type of encouragement for society to feel hatred
for a certain group of people who are smoking; the user further relates this to an existing law that
prohibits smokers from smoking in public places such as restaurants and pubs. As the result this
commentator became so stressed because of the constant exposure to the promotion where
smokers are shown as an object of doing something bad and in need of regulations as well as
help.
One more comment that expresses extreme but positive reactions towards the advertisement is
written by a user named ‘skinny161 pencils’:
“Fucking scary shit! Won't make me quit though, but probably will be effective on younger
smokers
or
people
already
struggling
to
quit.
"Bloody"
good
job
anyway.”
(http://adsoftheworld.com/, 2009)
The commentator shows they responded very emotionally after being exposed to this antismoking campaign, however feeling roused is just as positive, even though author is revealing
that he is a smoker himself. The commentator has not identified an offensive message and even
thinks this might be very helpful for people who are already thinking about quitting, or younger
individuals, more sensitive to this appeal. Previous commentators have been feeling attacked by
this type of advertising or even exposed as a victim of hate; in contrast, this commentator has
absolutely opposite feelings and is praising the NHS for delivering it to the general public.
Moving forward, Benetton ‘Unhate’ campaign was also an object of extreme responses, due to
its political, religious and stereotypical taboos expressed through the pictures. As the previous
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
anti-smoking campaign from NHS was dividing society into groups – those who are smokers and
need to be guided to quitting, and nonsmokers – this advertising campaign from Benetton has
divided the public into far more diverse groups – religious and non-religious, those in favor of
certain politics, those who are and not, those in favor for certain countries and those who are not,
and finally those individuals creating certain sexual references and those who are not.
As the first example of an extreme response aroused by this advertising campaign, the user
named ‘Dina G.’ comments:
“I am sooooo offended by this campaign!!!! I dont think the campaign really delivered the
message intended. I will actually not buy benetton anymore. there you go. just lost a customer.”
(http://www.creativereview.co.uk/, 2011)
Although, the respondent is not explaining why she felt so extremely offended by this
advertising campaign, the they shown expression shows that their aroused feelings were very
strong and that they will no longer serve as a customer. The whole perception of the campaign
left the respondent disappointed by the company in general and as it was treated quite personally,
the commentator felt the need to express the disappointment and give themselves a form of
personal punishment: “I will actually not buy benetton anymore. there you go. just lost a
customer”. Even though the respondent admits they may not have understood the delivered
message as the company would hope, they are not prohibiting her from making judgment and
creating personal associations.
The following comment was included in the ‘extreme responses’ section due to its creativity in
responding to the offense felt by the commentator named ‘zipflock’:
“I would like to modestly suggest that what someone -- like me -- who is appalled by these
Benetton ads, get a picture of the CEO of Benetton and photoshop it showing him performing
fellatio on several people, including a 10-year-old boy; a young woman, and an 85 year old
woman. That might cure that idiot of his ridiculous notions of what constitutes advertising.”
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/, 2011)
This particular respondent came up with a plan of how to personally insult and attack the CEO of
Benetton as a response to how he was appealed by this advertising campaign and what emotions
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
he felt after being exposed to certain images used in these advertisements. From the created plan
of how implemented pictures should be created with the CEO of the company, it is possible to
make an assumption that the commentator found the adverts created by Benetton very harsh,
breaking all moral norms as well as offensive for different society groups. The respondent adds
more personal perceptions of the person who is approving this type of advertising and accepting
them as a right way to promotion.
Although short in length, the following remark is no less expressive about Benetton, written by a
commentator called ‘Kenneth’ who states:
“Benetton is clearly a sick company!!!” (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/, 2011)
The author of the comment is expressing his disappointment with the company itself for
delivering images used for their advertising campaign. The comment states that even though the
author didn’t mention it, he feels personally offended by such a way to advertise and feels a need
to reply by offending Benetton as a company.
The last advertising campaign analyzed as a case study used sex appeal, which was challenging
eroticism in images, tolerance level, and the subject of sexual orientation. As it is a very intimate
theme, and the one that people find shy to talk or write about, some extremely positive and
negative comments were gathered while analyzing responses from the Internet. The first
comment labeled as “extreme response” for Virgin Mobile advertising campaign is written by an
anonymous user :
“I followed a link from my email and these are on Virgin's Facebook page. What do you think of
this new campaign...hook up fearlessly?
I totally get it, and I think it's fucking HAWT! I'll take either angel, please! Or put some wings
on the guy in the top pic on the right! But make him aggressive like the other guy. oh
I might have to leave these pictures up for a little while.” (http://www.webegtodiffer.com/, 2009)
From the comments it is obvious that the commentator was affected emotionally and very
positively towards the images in the advertisement. Emotional appreciation and sexual references
throughout the comment show that the person was not only interested by the advertisement to
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
follow the link to the further information, but received a positive feeling towardsthe image itself
and the whole campaign. A reference towards different sexual orientation was also highly
appreciated by the commentator and led to emotional affection. In addition to this, two more
commentators expressed their positive emotions towards the sexual references in the pictures.
However, not only positive comments have been made towards this advertising campaign. The
following example by respondent called ‘Mika’:
“it's
just nasty, not much too
it really...it
got
a shock for
its
grossness!!!”
(http://www.vancitybuzz.com/, 2010)
The author is expressing a very negative opinion about the images used for this advertising
campaign, saying that they were shocking due to the fact that the perception of certain pictures in
his perspective were very gross and nasty. However, the user is not explaining widely about
which picture out of three examples he is talking about, or its possible that all three images look
inappropriate for him.
Whilst conducting interviews for this research no ‘extreme responses’ were recorded. This may
be related to the fact that during the interviews, respondents were facing the interviewer and
were perhaps embarrassed to express their full emotions toward the campaign, whereas
commenting in online forums and discussion boards gives anonymity whilst writing opinions and
expressing emotions.
Rejection of the company/organization
In this section, comments that are declaring the rejection of the company and its products will be
analyzed. By the term ‘rejection’ in this section, the researchers mean comments that are stating
that after seeing certain advertising campaign, the viewer felt and created negative associations
that as a response is going to be transferred as an action of ignoring the company and its
products. In the most extreme cases, commentators are suggesting to boycott the company as a
declaration that company has personally offended and insulted them and society. In this case,
Benetton is the leader due to the mix of different themes used in their advertisements that
appealed and touched different groups in society and broke different boundaries.
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
Since the NHS is governmental organization and is not creating advertisements for commercial
purposes, rejection is harder to notice in their anti-smoking campaign, however, the following
comment delivers a strong critique towards the organization and its policies. The discussion
participant named ‘aares’ is states the following:
“What a great shame that the NHS is wasting good money on this nonsense whilst killing
thousands because they cannot afford better quality cleaners in the hospitals. Quite pathetic
really. Wasted public money, wasted resources, poor management by the NHS and HMG but
then it's easy to waste someone elses money aint it? I am sure UKIP or even the BNP would have
a much better system than this. Wake up and smell th BS!” (http://www.theguardian.com/, 2009)
The user is expressing his opinion that the NHS as an organization is wasting money by creating
this kind of advertisement, instead of financing other areas that they are supposed to maintain. It
is difficult to determine whether this view is decided by the already pre judged opinion of the
NHS as an organization, or if it was influenced by the anti-smoking campaign, however the
discussants disappointment and disagreement with the NHS policies are converted to rejection of
the organization itself.
Another similar comment criticizing state policies and even the UK as a country, which was
stimulated by the advertising campaign, is written a by user named ‘Niklowe’:
“Another deeply offensive Advert by the Nanny state. It seems they can't win the arguement by
reasoned debate, and therefore stoop to costly stunts.
How far has this country fallen?
But then again, vast amounts of the liberal left are beholden to the Righteous aren't they?”
(http://www.theguardian.com/, 2009)
These are extremely political comments that include a critique of the whole country based on the
negative feelings for the advertising campaign. The same as in the previous comments case, this
discussant is also criticizing the amount of money dedicated for the cause of this advertisement.
A sarcastic approach towards the country is also shown with a general negative attitude towards
the United Kingdom as a state, which of course can be seen as a part of why the comment is
negative.
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
Moving onto the commercial advertisements that have yielded much stronger statements
expressing negative feelings about the company and its products; the first case concerns
Benetton with the following comment written by ‘100PERCENTBLACK’:
“I WILL NEVER BUY NOTHING ELSE FROM BENETTON THIS WAS TOTALLY
INAPPROPRIATE AND THIS IS WHY A LOT OF STRAIGHT DECENT GOD FEARING
PEOPLE ARE AGAINST GAYS.” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/, 2012)
Starting with the fact that for the whole comment the uppercase font have been used, the
comment is based on certain stereotypes in which the author is basing his argument not to
purchase from Benetton as a company. The author is expressing his disappointment in the used
images and as an answer to the company is choosing to reject the company and its products. This
can be treated as a personal protest against the campaign and its ideology that was implemented
into the advertisements. However, it is just a statement and no one can monitor if the author is
really stopping themselves purchasing from the company. It is clear though that certain images
and their perception lead the commentator to his drastic answer concerning their emotions and
feelings aroused by the campaign.
Quite similar in context with a personal boycott of Benetton company is the following comment
written by a user named ‘Disillusioned’:
“Benetton's offensive advertising tactics have been there for years and have ensured that I will
never, ever buy anything made by them.” (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/, 2011)
The user is stating that not only this advertising campaign, but also previous campaigns have
created negative associations that lead to the decision not to buy from the company. The author
uses the term “offensive advertising tactics” which means that he feels personally affronted by
the campaign and as a response chose to ignore and reject the company and its brands by not
buying. In fact, that author is mentioning that such advertising tactics by Benetton have been
used “for years” meaning that he is familiar with the previous campaigns and has already made
a judgment of them as a company.
The following comment is also claims that the company is trying to sell a product whilst its
advertising is unrelated to the good. The commentator named ‘J Huxter’ declares:
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
“It's a clothing company and this is just a cynical ploy to sell more stuff!!! I think the politicians
are probably fair game but I think the picture of the Pope and the Iman will upset a lot of people.
I'm all for free speech but this has crossed a line as far as I'm concerned. I won't be shopping
there anytime soon.” (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/, 2011)
The forum user is questioning Benetton’s advertising strategy, declaring it an inappropriate and
not having any other deeper message apart from selling more of their products. The author is also
making a presumption that the advertisements with religious leaders will generate negative
emotions not only the author personally, but for a mass of other people. Although, double
standards can be noticed in the comment when the author says that “the politicians are probably
fair game but I think the picture of the Pope and the Iman will upset a lot of people.” It shows
that a kiss in an image is not an issue, the problem is again perceived by personal morals and
interpretations that leads to an intrinsic decision as to what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’. This is stated
one more time in the comment, where the author is declaring being tolerant and in favor of a free
mind, however in this case morals lines were crossed. In the end, the comment author, as in the
previous comments, is declaring personal rejection of the company by announcing they shall not
shop at Benetton stores.
These previous comments are being followed by statements where the user is including the
whole communities opinion, the user ‘Cesar’ is states:
“Really absurd, inappropriate, and disrespectful to both the people featured in the
photomontages and the general public. There are children and families looking at the
advertising, what would say the families of those involved in the advertisement? I think someone
should sue Benetton for such atrocity. The campaign achieved its goal to attract attention: Yes,
that achieve awareness in people: NO, the message came clear and education: NO. In fact my
community will stop buying Benetton products due to lack of morale and ethic. I really wish
somebody
would
sue
and
demand
with
penalties
this
company.”
(http://www.creativereview.co.uk/, 2011)
In this comment the author is expressing not just his personal opinion, but as he says “my
community” which means that he feels like expressing a whole group of peoples attitudes
towards the advertising campaign. From the comment itself it is unclear what kind of community
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
the author is representing and how he managed to gather their attitudes towards it, however it is
clear that the respondent feels offended. The user has perceived message as disrespectful,
breaking moral and ethical norms and achieves awareness not to the problem, but to Benetton as
a company and those involved in the advertisement. Confronting the company and demanding
for some sort of punishment shows that person feels not just offended, but personally attacked
too. However the power of taking action is being transferred to others by saying “I really wish
somebody would sue and demand with penalties this company” which also shows that the person
not only feels negative, but also wants to make the company experience a certain kind of
payback which would possibly make it feel negative as well.
Another commentator named ‘Linda B’ has a similar argument about the advertisement showing
religious leaders; it goes as following:
“This makes me NEVER want to buy from Benetton again, mocking the politicians does not
bother
me
-
but
using
POPE
BENEDICT
XVI
was
WAY
TOO
FAR.”
(http://www.creativereview.co.uk/, 2011)
Again, personal perception and encoding of the message plays a major role in advertising
campaign judgment. Even though the author is not explaining if he is practicing religion or not,
the offending part is clearly the religious figures shown in the images. The specific emphasis on
certain details in upper- case font emphasises the negative emotions and feelings that were
roused, which inspired a reaction to reject the company and its products. However, the statement
is very strict the commenter is stating they will never will buy from Benetton, which shows that
person took the images as a personal moral insult. One more time it becomes clear that personal
beliefs and a created frame of mind about how to interpret certain factors and what kind of
associations they bring plays a major role in deciding the appropriability of the advertisement.
The next case analysis is Virgin wheresuch responses were observed, however were not so
commonly expressive. One of the online discussion participants named ‘Michelle’ writes:
“I don't want an aggressive phone company. I still have flashbacks from the old "slamming"
days.” (http://www.webegtodiffer.com/, 2009)
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
The author is not explaining why this campaign created an association for her as being
aggressive, however it led to the declaration that this type of campaign is not appreciated.
Although the commentator is providing references to previous mobile operators’ practices it is
still not clear why this advertisement provoked those “flashbacks”. Nevertheless, it is visible
that certain associations are being created in the customers mind, making negative emotions
influence the judgment for Virgin as a mobile connection provider.
In similarity with this statement, one of the responses collected during the interviews stated why
Virgin appears an inappropriate company to subscribe to; the answer goes as following:
“This company is promoting things that are fashionable and use sex as a tool, I would treat them
as an irresponsible company and I don’t know if I would trust this company”
The respondent is giving an explanation as to why after seeing these advertisements he made an
association with company as being irresponsible. In this case, using sexual images is perceived
as running after the fashionable trend and trying to attract young people. Also, an irresponsible
company image can be related to the tag line “hook up fearlessly” which is used for the
campaign and for the respondent might be decoded as promoting freedom in relationships and a
free lifestyle. Again personal perception plays the main role if these kind of associations are
going to be accepted as something positive, or, like in this case, negative.
MILD REACTIONS
This subchapter comprises of five themes that have shown positive or negative reactions, but yet
have not demonstrated high personal involvement or strong emotional responses towards the
shock appeals. The following themes going to be presented and analyzed here are: “Third
Person”, “Deflecting”, “Desensitized”, “Appreciation” and “Uncertainty/Anxiety”. Moreover
doubts of the execution and impact have been expressed in the responses underlining these five
themes.
Third Person
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
In discussing the emotional response “third person”, it will be necessary to clarify what is meant
when this term is used in this context. Generally speaking, “third person” is used to describe “a
type of narrative in which the story is related by an omniscient narrator, using third-person
forms” (Oxford Dictionaries, 2014). In the context of this theme, however, the third person point
of view will be used to describe the way in which discussants have expressed their opinion as
regards to the effectiveness of the campaigns in discussion. Evidence could be found of
discussants story telling in this manner for all three of the campaigns. As such, it was decided
that the “third person” point of view emerged as a recurring theme through the course of the
research. Thus, the emotional response felt by discussants was to project their experience of the
campaign onto what they believe the effects would be on either the greater public, or the target
audience.
As one discussant, June, remarks in reference to the NHS campaign:
“I think for non-smokers they all work and would probably ensure that we will never take it up.
Unfortunately for long-term smokers, I don’t think shock images make much difference. The only
people it may help are young people who have recently started, and with young people being
concerned with image I think the last one will probably have most impact.”
(http://blog.solopress.com/, 2012)
This user has neglected to discuss the effect of the campaign on them personally. Terms such as
“I think for non-smokers” and “for long term smokers” indicate this individual has given a great
deal of thought to both audiences that could be affected by this campaign, and the effectiveness
of the campaign on those individuals. They have interpreted the intended message, yet have
neglected to accept the message in its intentions. The discussant even goes as far as to discuss the
potential effect on “young people”. Despite the consideration given to this appeal, the user’s
emotional response is strictly that of a third person point of view. They refrain from discussing
how they felt upon viewing the campaign, instead offering their opinion as to whether it would
be successful in changing the behaviors of the wider public. They subsequently decide the
campaign would “probably ensure” non-smokers never take up the habit; that for long-term
smokers, they don’t think “shock images make much difference,” yet the campaign will
“probably have most impact” on young people who have recently started smoking; the user
subsequently neglects to inform fellow discussants of which audience they fall into.
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
One interviewee made the following statement in reference to the NHS smoking campaign:
“It could make someone that is not so used to that. Someone who had already thought about it
and is thinking about it.”
Stating that “it could make some” and “someone who had already thought about it [giving up
smoking], the discussant remarks that the campaign could prove effective for those smokers
considering giving up their habit. They take on a third person stance in declaring this statement,
assuming that the campaign could work on other people, but not themselves.
Equally, Claire provides the following insight:
“Obviously not just seeing the poster will make people give up smoking as it’s not as easy as
that. But if it encourages people to at least try then these posters can’t be a bad thing.”
(http://blog.solopress.com/, 2012)
This discussant is quick to assume the poster will not just “make people give up smoking as it’s
not as easy as that”, pointing out that this is an “obvious” assumption. Without offering a
personal opinion as to why the user has this believe, they then go on to say “but if it encourages
people to at least try…” From this observation, it is clear that Claire has equally refrained from
sharing their personal experience with viewing this campaign. Discussing what they believe to be
the effect on other individuals demonstrates a third person point of view and an emotional
response which does not offer insight into their immediate reaction to the campaign.
Furthermore, Lani adds to the discussion with the following comments:
“Shocking images to be sure but I think it would depend one’s personal circumstances as to
whether one is affected by them or not.” (http://blog.solopress.com/, 2012)
Though acknowledging the images are “shocking…to be sure,” Lani’s opinion is restricted to
that of the “personal circumstances” of the individual, as to whether one is affected by them or
not. In providing this insight, Lani does not disclose what their response is to the campaign;
whether they personally would be put off from smoking (if they are a non-smoker), or whether
they would be inclined to give up (if they were a smoker). Instead, this discussant projects their
opinion of the effectiveness of this campaign onto the “personal circumstances” of the viewer. In
doing so, they do not disclose their personal circumstances or how effective the campaign has
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
been for them personally. Once again, this approach is characterized by the third person point of
view theme.
An interviewee also remarks:
“In general I don’t think that a lot of smokers are paying attention to these advertisements.”
In stating their opinion that they don’t believe “a lot of smokers are paying attention to these
advertisements” the respondent indicates a third person point of view. They remark on what they
believe the effect of the campaign would be on smokers, detaching themselves from disclosing
how they would personally be affected by the campaign. This statement further implies that the
respondent believes smokers would understand the intended message, but perhaps would reject
its meaning, or possibly resist its behavior, perception, cognition or emotional intentions.
“I think it's great and that it will get people to think about the effect smoking has on them. That's
got to be good even if some people here seem to think it isn't. Maybe over a century of
propaganda (i.e. advertising) we've had from the tobacco companies is clouding their
judgment?”
As this user, JAL991 states, the NHS campaign “will get people to think about the effect
smoking has on them” ( http://www.theguardian.com/, 2009). Reflecting upon the effect on
“people” as opposed to themselves is indicative of a third person point of view. The user
elaborates further on this stance by stating “that’s got to be good even if some people here seem
to think it isn’t.” Focusing their attention on the effect of the campaign on the public offers little
insight into the campaign’s impact on them. However, it is insightful of their emotional response
in the way that they do not discuss the effectiveness of the campaign personally. The user draws
their statement to a close with a reflection of whether propaganda is clouding “their” judgment;
by “their” they once again refer to the wider public. The following discussant, Skinny161, offers
a similar opinion:
“F*****g scary shit! Won't make me quit though, but probably will be effective on younger
smokers
or
people
already
struggling
to
quit.
"Bloody"
good
job
anyway.”
(http://adsoftheworld.com/, 2009)
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
Skinny161 instantly expresses shock at the campaign and terms it “scary”. Proceeding to state it
“won’t make me quit though” identifies the audience this user falls into: smoker. Though it is
understood this user is a smoker, Skinny 161 goes on to express their opinion regarding the
effect of this campaign on other smokers “probably will be effective on younger smokers or
people already struggling to quit”. In assuming the campaign will be more successful on other
audiences; this discussant assumes the third person point of view, before finally acknowledging
what a good campaign this is. Though the campaign is good, this user remains intent that they
would not be convinced to quit smoking, but ultimately offers optimism for other smokers; they
have ultimately decoded the message as intended by the campaigner; however, the campaign has
been unsuccessful in motivating a behavioral response.
The theme of third person point of view was equally evident in observations of netnography
concerning the Benetton UnHate campaign. As one user, Ffaulkner, remarks:
“Benetton is not known for its tasteful adverts. This is horrible and will not encourage people to
buy their clothes. On the contrary. They are shooting themselves in the foot.”
(http://www.dailymail.co.uk/, 2011)
Describing the campaign as “horrible” provides insight into this user’s immediate emotional
response to the advertising campaign. They are subsequently negative regarding the company’s
image, stating “they are shooting themselves in the foot.” As such, they also state the campaign
“will not encourage people to buy their clothes”. Though Ffaulkner offers their personal opinion
of the campaign, they also offer their third person point of view. The user believes the campaign
offensive, not only on a personal level – but equally to the greater public, assuming people will
respond by not buying from the brand. This demonstrates the discussant has given a great deal of
thought to the greater publics’ opinion, indeed, more than their own personal feelings.
The following discussant, @bluepigcreative concurs:
“It's not necessarily going to sell clothes is it? In fact it'll probably put off more people than it
sells to. You won't see many other big brands promote a message the way Benetton do.”
(http://www.creativereview.co.uk/, 2011)
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
Rhetorically asking “it’s not necessarily going to sell clothes is it?” indicates the interpretive
nature of this campaign. Again, referring to the campaign, the user confidently adds, “in fact it’ll
probably put off more people than it sells to”. The discussant has neglected to offer insight into
their personal opinion, and so it is unsure whether the manner in which they refer to the public’s
opinion is equally a reflection of their own view. Without describing their response to this
campaign and instead discussing the negative impact they assume the campaign will have on
Benetton’s customer base, indicates this person has become distracted by bottom line profit
concerns. Assuming a third person viewpoint, the user indicates their emotional response as an
objective stance; observing the effect of this campaign on others, but not themselves.
The final remarks concerning the theme of third person viewpoint and the Benetton campaign
involve a discussion between two users. The first comment made by Cesar is as follows:
“Really absurd, inappropriate, and disrespectful to both the people featured in the
photomontages and the general public. There are children and families looking at the
advertising, what would say the families of those involved in the advertisement? I think someone
should sue Benetton for such atrocity…I really wish somebody would sue and demand with
penalties this company.” (http://www.creativereview.co.uk/, 2011)
The strong response from Cesar demonstrates this users’ immediate emotional response is one of
shock and upset. The discussant has been provoked: “absurd”, “disrespectful” and an “atrocity”
are just some of the adjectives used to describe the offense caused. Though this discussant
reveals their personal response to the campaign, they quickly shift their attention to the effect
they believe it would have on “children and families”. On altering their stance, they adopt the
position of third person viewpoint. The user assumes that children and families would be the
most offended by this campaign. Having voiced this concern, the discussant proclaims “I think
someone should sue Benetton for such atrocity,” which summarizes their clear repugnance for
the brand. In response to these remarks, the discussant Mike asks questions the following:
@Cesar "There are children and families looking at the advertising"
“Do families and children not kiss each other?” (http://www.creativereview.co.uk/, 2011)
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
Interestingly, the discussant Mike shows aversion to Cesar’s claim. Though confident in their
belief that “children and families” would be most offended by this campaign, Mike
counterattacks such claims and questions simply “Do families and children not kiss each other?”
In raising this question, the discussant demonstrates that indeed, Cesar made a large assumption
concerning this public in taking a third person viewpoint.
Lastly, the theme of third person viewpoint was equally identified in the Virgin campaign
discussions. The following user, European Joe, states the following:
“I think the problem is people have a problem with sexuality. Europe oh how I miss thee. Even in
a progressive North American city like Vancouver, people are afraid of flesh and sex. Yet
violence seems to be just fine :)” (http://www.vancitybuzz.com/, 2010)
The discussant European Joe begins their statement with the consideration that “people have a
problem with sexuality”; in doing so, the user inadvertently adopts a third person viewpoint.
They goes on to make a comparison between Europe and North America, generalizing an area,
such as Vancouver and its people as “afraid of flesh and sex,” but “violence seems to be just
fine”. In doing so, the discussant avoids discussing their immediate response to the campaign,
instead giving attention to what they believe the public opinion would be for this campaign in
Northern America. Clearly dissatisfied with the assumed response of the public in this territory,
it is assumed the user does not feel offended by this campaign.
Finally, one interviewed respondent states the following opinion when discussing advertising the
three campaigns:
“And people are used to like shocking pictures now, even on the news so it doesn’t work that
much
anymore.”
In expressing this point of view, the respondent makes clear their opinion that “people,” the
general public have become used to shocking images, and thus as Katz and Lazarfeld discuss,
media has a limited impact. In responding by assuming how the public feel about such
campaigns, the discussant has avoided answering how such provocative campaigns make them
feel personally. Instead, they adopt a third person point of view whilst expressing their opinion.
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
Deflecting
In discussing the emotional response “deflecting” displayed by discussants through both the
netnography and interviews carried out, it will be necessary to clarify what is meant by this term
in the context of provocative marketing. The term “deflect” most commonly refers to causing
something to change direction or deviate from the intended purpose. Through the following
discussion, deflecting will refer to the discussant deflecting or digressing from the campaigns
intentions; it will refer to the way in which the individual has interpreted the message, yet has
chosen not to internalize the message but instead to deflect the intended meaning. Of the
example campaigns used through this research, the emergence of this theme “deflecting” became
most apparent in the marketing campaign of Benetton, most notably through the use of humor or
satire.
One discussant, Dan, states:
“Love how there is no sign of Cameron... maybe it would be unrealistic to think anyone would
want to kiss him?” (http://www.creativereview.co.uk/, 2011)
The reference to British Prime Minister David Cameron indicates this user has given attention to
the print advertisement. As a consequence, the discussant adds “maybe it would be unrealistic to
think anyone would want to kiss him?” This remark detaches from the campaigns purpose. The
viewer has become disengaged by using humor to satirize the campaigns subject. Implying
Cameron’s undesirability shows this individual has given great attention to mocking the Prime
Minister. No mention is given of the grander message involved in this campaign; the user has
effectively dismissed the advertisement entirely and focused on the humorous aspect, whereby
political and religious figures have been used to demonstrate “UnHate”. Another discussant,
Chris, reiterates this emotional response with the following remark:
“Where’s Cameron kissing Clegg???” (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/, 2011)
Again, this reference to David Cameron and Nick Clegg, who are collectively part of the UK
Coalition, mocks the campaigns intended message of “UnHate”. It is possible that the respondent
is referring to the known friction between the two politicians, however, it remains that this
remark is satirical and deflects the campaigns intended message.
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
The following discussant, rexreddy, demonstrates disjuncture between the message and its
intended meaning:
“I don’t think those advertizing geeks know just how serious this can become. Israel and the
Muslims don’t play around. Either one is capable of sending an assassin to “clean up” your add
campaign.” (http://www.washingtonpost.com/, 2011)
Describing the campaigners as “advertising geeks” before adding that both “Israel and the
Muslims don’t play around. Either one is capable of sending an assassin” illustrates this user has
deflected from the messages purpose. With the topic of this campaign as “UnHate,” this user
satirizes the subject of the message; they further drastically accuse Muslims of being capable of
assassination to “clean up” the advertising campaign. Such a claim is not only offensive to
Muslims, but is unrelated entirely to Benetton’s intentions. The user further adds:
“On the other hand…I think the Chavez and Barak photo captures the real feelings between the
two. They both probably fantasize about it regularly.” (http://www.washingtonpost.com/, 2011)
Suggesting Hugo Chavez and Barack Obama “probably fantasize about [kissing] regularly”
satirically mocks the subject of this campaign once more. Rather than engaging in the intended
message, the user again gives greater attention to the subjects involved and digresses, insinuating
unrelated accusations of the Politicians.
The following user, Mike T, equally distracted by the political underpinnings of the campaign
states the following:
“There are (pardon the expression) loads of photos of George Bush kissing Abdullah. I think
they're in love.” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/, 2012)
Claiming there are “loads of photos of George Bush kissing Abdullah” is both farfetched and
making the most of free speech, intended to humor fellow readers. It is unrelated to the campaign
itself and proves the user has not interpreted the message as would be desired by Benetton.
Satirically stating such a remark demonstrates Mark T is distracted by intentionally mocking the
subjects. Further, the user adds “I think they’re in love” to confirm the sarcastic connotations
related to their view.
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
A number of forum users proclaim the following remarks; similarly related they condescend and
sarcastically single out Barack Obama through the use of humor:
“That guy Obama gets around doesn't he...” (http://www.creativereview.co.uk/, 2011)
“Blimey that Barack gets about hey” (http://www.creativereview.co.uk/, 2011)
“OMG!!! I never knew Obama was bisexual. I feel so proud of our President! now.”
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/, 2011)
“Wow, I had no idea Obama was gay.” (http://www.washingtonpost.com/, 2011)
The statements indicate that the interpretation of the message as one of generating humor as an
emotional response to the campaign has been experienced by a number of discussants. Users
have indeed declared similar statements and have demonstrated similar reactions. What the
statements share in similarity is their distraction from the campaign. They similarly jest at
Obama’s political image, which is in reality contrary to their insinuations that he “gets around”.
Two discussants go as far as sarcastically expressing their delight at his apparently changed
sexual orientation “I never knew Obama was bisexual;” “I feel so proud of our President! Now”
and “Wow, I had no idea Obama was gay”. Collectively these statements confirm deflection of
the intended message. It is possible the users misunderstood the message, but more possible still
is the likelihood that the message was interpreted correctly but discarded in favor of viewing the
content with humor.
Discontent with prevailing “serious” comments in the forum, the following users, Lucia and
Anna declare the following:
“Ha! This is funny. People are taking this far too seriously. Don’t you see the irony about half of
the comments on here? Classic.” (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/, 2011)
“Hilarious!” (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/, 2011)
The statements indicate the users have viewed the campaigns message lightly and have avoided
interpreting the message with seriousness. The statement “people are taking this far too
seriously” indicates this discussants reluctance to interpret the campaigns UnHate message.
Declaring “Ha! This is funny” and “Hilarious!” further indicate the relaxed nature of the
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
discussant’s interpretation of the message. The have deflected from the serious underpinnings of
the message, favoring instead a humored approach, one which brushes aside the serious message
of the campaign. Avoiding the campaigns main intentions serves as evidence of deflecting from
the intended message.
One final Benetton discussant, asarolon, states the following:
“They also have to include a dog kissing a cat picture just in case. Not to offend
environmentalists.” (http://www.washingtonpost.com/, 2011)
Although this user appears to have engaged with campaigns message, they have responded in a
satirical manner by drawing upon the subject of equality. Stating “they also have to include a dog
kissing a cat” shows they have understood the campaigns message of UnHate. However, since
this forum received numerous remarks regarding the offensive content of the campaign, this
discussant has satirically mocked this emotional response by adding “just in case. Not to offend
environmentalists.” Thus, the user has interpreted the message as would be desired of Benetton,
but their provoked response shows they have deflected the seriousness of the message, and
resorted to mocking those offended by the campaign.
The emerging emotional response of deflection can be further witnessed in the discussions
concerning the Virgin campaign. One user remarks:
“Huh. Never seen an angel in a sweater vest before.” (http://www.webegtodiffer.com/, 2009)
It is evident from this user’s remark that they have given little thought to the intended messages
provocation. Instead, the discussant misses the campaigns overall message and focuses on the
detail of the anger’s sweater. They mockingly state that they’ve “never seen an angel in a
sweater vest before”. Thus, the user deviates from the campaigns intentions. The remark is
unrelated to the offer being advertised and one can only assume a deflection from the campaigns
intention. An additional user adds:
“I think we need a close up of the girl to determine if this ad should really be pulled or not.”
(http://forums.beyond.ca/, 2009)
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
Unlike previous remarks, this discussant appears more concerned with the appearance of the
female subject of the campaign. In reference to prior comments that condemn the campaign and
wish to see it removed, the user states they believe a “close up of the girl [is needed] to
determine is this ad should really be pulled or not”. Since the subject matter of this campaign is
sexually provocative, it can be assumed the discussant has become distracted by the sexual
undertones of the message. In responding to the campaign in this manner the user is displaying
humor and deflection from the intended message. Equally in reference to the prevailing remarks
concerning the offensive nature of the campaign, the following user states:
“6 people lol. It's the obese single mothers that can't get a guy. They complained.”
(http://forums.beyond.ca/, 2009)
The user refers to the number of complaints the campaign supposedly received with humor “6
people lol”. Further adding, “It’s the obese single mothers that can’t get a guy. They
complained” shows the user has become distracted by the publicity this campaign has received
and the subsequent negative remarks generated. Instead of concerning themselves with the
campaigns message, they have instead accused the “obese single mothers” as the reason for the
campaigns complaints; both offensive and undoubtedly untrue. In making such a derogative
remark, the discussant has diverged from the campaigns message, instead giving greater attention
to mocking the feedback Virgin have received. It can be assumed, however, that this individual
did not find the campaign offensive, given that they make an accusation as to who the complaints
were made by.
A final remark by the following user further scrutinizes those that have made complaints
concerning the content of the campaign:
“I'm going to complain that the length of the sign posts make me feel emasculated and should be
lowered to 5-7 inches. Who's with me?” (http://forums.beyond.ca/, 2009)
In reference to those that had already made complaints and adding to the existing discussion that
ridicules those individuals that have been offended by the campaign, this user mockingly states
“I’m going to complain that the length of the signposts make me feel emasculated”. The
farfetched statement is satirical in nature and precedes “Who’s with me?” and indication that this
user is voicing their opinion with the intention of stirring conversation amongst fellow users. The
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
statement is therefore indicative that the user is humored by those offended by the campaign, and
in turn becomes distracted by ridiculing those that have been offended. In the process, the
discussant has become detached from the campaign and has deflected its intended message.
Desensitized
The term ‘desensitized’ has been chosen to label comments and interview responses that
expressed slight or no reaction to provocations and controversial images. It doesn’t mean that
after seeing these advertisements certain commentators became less sensitive to certain images
or events, however their expressed reaction showed no special emotions towards exposed images
and did not create any particular effect on this group of consumers.
The first example of a‘ desensitized’ comment comes from the“get unhooked” anti-smoking
campaign by the NHS. Forum user ‘J. Simpson’ is answering to another commentator’s
expressed opinion, the conversation goes as follows:
R. Clarke: “I feel your fish hook advert is one of the most sadistic adverts I have seen and do not
feel that young children or adults should be exposed to this type of advert. It is as bad as an over
18 year old movie. I was surprised to see these are placed in doctors surgeries for the young to
see, and can only imagine what a horrible impression this makes on a young persons mind at an
early age.”
J. Simpson: “ermm i believe that you are so wrong, it has no gore sex or swearing and as for it
being worse than 18 film, check out braindead, nighmtmare on elm street etc., trust me this is
care bears compared to them” (http://theinspirationroom.com/, 2007)
It is visible from J. Simpson’s comment upon the argument of inappropriate content for young
people that the commentator is trying to say that any harmful images used could have a negative
impact, but this user doesn’t feel the image is bad, and in fact compares it to over 18 year old
movies that in his opinion are much more frightening.
Comments for another NHS advertisement which how a beaten up man and with a tag line
saying “Fight back” was commented as quite funny by ‘englishcharlie’ his opinion is expressed
as follows:
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
“I had a good laugh when I saw this advert. How many kids would believe this nonsense?”
(http://www.theguardian.com/, 2009)
The author clearly expresses that he hadn’t any feelings toward the image used for the
advertisement and doubts whether even a kid could believe that it expresses the real
consequences of smoking that the campaign intended to show. The expressed critique to the
advertisement can be deemed sarcastic as the author states that the only thing that was roused by
the image was laughter.
Another commentator ‘aarse’ agrees with this opinion and adds to the discussion, not only
referring to the print advertisement but also its accompanying video campaign:
“Hardly 'Terminator' or 'Alien' is is it? Now if it was a real film it would be mildly shocking, but
it's not. It is make believe by some clown that thinks he/she knows how to shock. What a complete
amateur. HA Ha Ha bloody laughable.” (http://www.theguardian.com/, 2009)
The commentator is expressing a sarcastic opinion about the advertisement, which in the authors’
opinion is not shocking at all and makes him questioning the creation process of this
advertisement. This comment is also neglecting the possible impact of the advertisement.
The following comment written by ‘anna notts’ is expressing a ‘desensitized’ reaction towards
the Benetton ‘unHate’ campaign:
“Ha! This is funny. People are taking this far too seriously. Dont you see the irony about half of
the comments on here? Classic.” (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/, 2011)
The author is making fun of other participants in the discussion who took responded to the
images used for the advertisement sensitively and understood them as a personal, religious or
social insult. The respondent is criticizing the level of how seriously images were evaluated and
perceived by some individuals.
An additional ‘desensitized’ comment was written by ‘Jo Bloggs’ who stated:
“..... and this sells clothes? How? It's boring, uninteresting and plain daft and not really worth
publishing, so don't.” (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/, 2011)
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
The author is expressing his bold feelings about the advertisement, adding that the advertisement
was not just boring and uninteresting, but is also not align with the company’s products.
Moreover, the commentator vocalises that the printed version of this campaign won’t create any
impression or emotions for him and that it’s not even worth publishing.
A rather positive yet equally l ‘desensitized’ comment was written by an anonymous
commentator as an answer to another users remark that images are being seen by families and
children. The conversation is as follows:
Cesar: “There are children and families looking at the advertising”
Anonymous
commentator:
“Do
families
and
children
not
kiss
each
other?”
(http://www.creativereview.co.uk/, 2011)
The anonymous commentator is basing his argument for the defense of appropriation of the
images by relating them to the natural human behavior that is considered normal and thus not
controversial. The rhetorical question t is appealing to society’s created standards and
stereotypes - why is that kissing family members and friends seems so natural and right,
whereas seeing that being done by politicians or religious leaders is so wrong and notably,
especially offensive to families and children?
The Virgin campaign which appeals to society through use of its sexual images managed to
generate a lot of defending comments in response to articles about this campaign advertisement
being banned at certain locations. The first example is written by ‘Proyecto2000’ expressing
simple curiosity as to who could be sensitive towards these advertisements:
“I want to know who these 6 people are and what their lives look like if this offends them enough
to file a complaint. Soo sad...” (http://forums.beyond.ca/, 2009)
Referring to the group of people who complained about the images used, the author is appealing
to the personal lives of people who could have been insulted. At the end of the comment, the user
expresses general disappointment revealing that the commentator feels quite positive about the
advertisement and at the same time doesn’t feel any special emotions concerning the images used
for this advertising campaign.
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The same idea was expressed during one of the interviews where the male respondent was
talking about his feelings and emotions after seeing the Virgin advertisement; the answer goes as
follows:
“Hook up fearlessly, for a mobile phone? Of course the one with gay couple is a bit weird. My
emotions for this, I would say indifference, I mean I don’t get the message quite well too. Ok, to
use beautiful couples and beautiful women is common, old tactic for advertising, I don’t think
it’s something exceptional.”
The respondent is expressing his opinion that the tactic to show beautiful, sexy people is not a
new idea; it has been used a lot of times and due to its constant usage has lost its charm. This
kind of appeal is very usual and cannot arouse a lot feeling or emotions, it became part of
daily images that are visible everywhere and this is the main reason why people are becoming
‘desensitized’ for these kind of advertising. However, the image with the gay couple provokes
some emotions in the respondent, but they are minor and do not influence the general emotional
opinion about this advertising campaign. In addition to the unemotional reaction to the
advertisement itself, the respondent adds that the delivered message is not clear “…I mean I
don’t get the message quite well too” makes the advertisement increasingly less appealing.
Appreciation
The term ‘appreciation’ as a theme is being used to define positive comments that show peoples
understanding of the advertisements message and being interested as well as content by the
advertisements execution. It is a wide theme including positive feelings and emotions towards
advertisements, which led to a positive perception of the advertisement and created positive
associations about the brand and company. To be specific about emotions and feelings
concerning this theme, the following aspects were considered a common expression of positive
attitudes:
● Interest and curiosity;
● Acknowledgement of the idea and ideology behind the advertisement;
● Advertisement message understanding and appreciation;
● Courageous or attractive execution of the advertisement.
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
All of these attributes are treated as a sign of ‘appreciation’ of the advertisement and lead to a
respectable impression of the brand and a positive understanding of the company and its strategy
used for communication with consumers.
As the first example in this case, a comment referring to the NHS campaign is written by a user
named ‘Tony Willis’ who states the following:
“They are tough ads but giving up smoking is difficult and “shock therapy” can help.
The fish hooks are the lesser of two evils and if even 10% of smokers quit many lives will be
saved and many children may not start smoking.” (http://theinspirationroom.com/, 2007)
The author is expressing that he felt quite negative due to the image used, however the purpose
of the advertisement is higher wealth for society and this is why at the end it is perceived as a
positive attempt to promote anti-smoking. The author is not stating if he is a smoker, however,
he admits that quitting smoking is a hard process and for this reason the shock element used is
constructive and encouraging in creating awareness in society.
The next comment adds to the previous statement, also showing ‘appreciation’ of the
advertisements; ‘Claire Heffer’ writes:
“These posters are shocking but I think they have to be, obviously not just seeing the poster will
make people give up smoking as it’s not as easy as that. But if it encourages people to at least try
then these posters can’t be a bad thing.” (http://blog.solopress.com/, 2012)
The author agrees that the images used are shocking, but at the same time the higher purpose and
meaning behind the advertisement is noticed and appreciated. It is seen as a first step and
encouragement for people to quit or at least question their smoking habits. The comment finishes
with the conclusion that if the goal of creating common awareness is reached, these types of
images used cannot be treated negatively.
Voicing support, ‘Grace O'Grady's’ comment goes as follows:
“People want constant advice on how to live their lives healthier. The shock factor of this ad is
in the visual of a women being hooked in the mouth, looking painful and distressing. Not only
this, the women looks unhealthy and unhappy - building on the NHS' negative approach towards
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
smoking. The slogan ' get unhooked' compliments the image well to make a clever and effective
advert. Importantly however, the reliable contact information the consumer may need is placed
at the bottom of the ad, making the poster useful for those it effects, as well as reminding people
that the NHS is free and helpful service for the UK public.” (http://www.ad-review.co.uk/, 2010)
The author does an analysis of the image used for the advertisement, explaining his personal
interpretations that for example the woman with the hook in her lip looks pained and is
distracting for him, adding that the whole NHS approach towards smoking is negative. Even
though the aroused feeling and emotions in general are treated as negative, the author is
explaining that in the end, the advertisement looks thorough and effective, not just through its
message delivery but also by providing all needed information. Thus, the NHS create overall a
well executed advertisement. The last sentence is stating the general associations and
impressions about NHS as an organization, which also proves positive .
This advertising campaign was equally evaluated as the most positive example of shock
advertising by the interviewed respondents; seven out of the eight respondents spoke positively
of the campaign during the interviews. Another aspect worth mentioning is that out of eight
respondents that had been interviewed, four were smokers, who showed different responses
compared to the online commentators, responding positively to the campaigns intentions. As an
example of the answer about emotions and feelings roused by this advertisement, a female
respondent answer goes as follows:
“Okay, I it is positive, because the message really speaks to you, especially if you are smoker
and I believe if you are not a smoking person then you see it you really some feeling not to do it.
Ohhh it looks so painful.”
The respondent is a smoker and immediately relates to the message in the advertisement
personally by saying that the images speak to her, which leads to the assumption that the
message reached its target group and that the respondent decoded it as was planned by
organization. Appreciation for the message and its execution is perceived not just by personal
motives, but the respondent also looks at the broader perspective assuming that nonsmokers
exposed to these images should be deterred from even trying it. At the end of the answer, the
respondent adds that the used images were painful, which also leads to the assumption that fear
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
and pain were used as tools to rouse strong emotions guiding respondents to an awareness of the
consequences of starting or continuing smoking.
Moving forward with the ‘appreciation’ comments, the Benetton case was also an object of
positive emotions and comments; the first example in this case is written by ‘Mya’:
“It certainly gets everyone’s attention. Which is the point. People are so immune to all
advertising because we see tons of it everyday. Also no Ad will ever please everyone. Someone
will always be offended. I for one like it.” (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/, 2011)
The commentator is in defending mode towards the advertising campaign, trying to explain why
the shock appeal has been used in these advertisements. This allows for the assumption that this
appeal did not offend the author. The commentator goes on to vocalize their positive emotions by
stating“I for one like it”. Understanding that the advertisement cannot be perceived positively by
everyone, the author assumes that the feeling of being offended by certain images will arise due
to personal interpretations of the images used.
Another online discussion participant named ‘spacca’ adds:
“Awesome campaign - sometimes we all need to be reminded of our similarities than our
differences. Thumbs up Benetton.” (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/, 2011)
The commentator is content with the message and idea behind the advertisement and explains the
deeper meaning of it that leads to appreciation of the campaign in general. A personal positive
attitude towards the campaign is expressed by using the term “awesome campaign” as well as
the last remark “thumbs up” which again leads to the assumption that provocation has been
perceived positively due to its higher purpose underlined by the pictures.
This view is further complimented by one more user named ‘sarum’ who contributes to the
understanding of the general message underlying the advertisement:
“Wow I did not even know this company was still in business. Missed all their controversy the
last few years and I also would have probably been appalled at the murderous ones but this right
here is a totally cool political act imho. They are showing that the world leaders have their
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
divisions just to divide and confuse us common folk but they themselves are not confused or
divided.” (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/, 2011)
As with previous comments, this statement is also in agreement with the idea behind the
advertisement and appreciates advertisement for making a “political act”. It is obvious that the
discussion participant is familiar with the previous company advertising campaigns, however he
adds his attention was not caught by them, but by this campaign, which delivered a message that
was perceived as a great political and social informative act. The execution of the advertisement
as well as the political message triggered the right themes that are important for the commentator
and this led to the association in favor for Benetton as a company.
These comments were supported by some very short but appreciative remarks, such as the
following by ‘Donna’:
“Love it!” (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/, 2011)
Even though the author is not explaining why the advertising campaign have been perceived as
positive and led to the such an expression as “love” it is obvious that the general impression of
the advertisement delivered the positive associations.
This comment is followed by one more emotional ‘appreciation’ written by ‘Robin’:
“Brilliant!
Just
what
we
need,
some
more
controversy.
Very
clever
though.”
((http://www.dailymail.co.uk/, 2011)
This comment, unlike the previous one is not just expressing the emotional content about the
advertising campaign but also explaining that the controversial part was highly appreciated and
even encouraged it should be used even more. The commentator is also stating that in his
perception, it was not just controversial but also a very thought through idea delivered as an
advertising message, which is assumed to have roused the positive overall opinion of this
campaign.
The ‘appreciation’ idea is also supported by the conducted interviews and as an example, the
following respondent answer is provided:
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
“They are trying to convey very nice message, because it shows politicians kissing or religious
leaders. And I think the meaning behind is no to racism, so yeah, I like it.”
The respondent is a expressing positive feeling towards the advertisements based on the
execution of the campaign and the message transferred. No political or religious shock or offense
is being expressed, meaning that decoding and perception of the advertising campaign has led to
positive associations and general appreciation of the campaign.
Virgin as well as the two previous companies received ‘appreciative’ comments about their
executed campaign, which is shown by the first example written by an anonymous commentator
who is expressing their contentment in the advertisement:
“Gay or straight, doesn't matter, that's hawt!” (http://www.webegtodiffer.com/, 2009)
The author is expressing straight forward the idea that seeing beautiful people kissing is just a
joyful and pleasant image that gives positive emotions and general appreciation for the company.
Appealing to different sexual orientations, the author is assuming that this kind of image should
please all viewer groups exposed to the advertisement and should transfer to them the same
positive emotions.
Another example of ‘appreciation’ in the Virgin case is a comment written by ‘Felix’ who states:
“Fearless Virgin...BRAVO!” (http://www.towleroad.com/, 2009)
Again in this case, the commentator is not giving a great deal of explanation as to why he felt
positive, however it is identifiable through the enthusiastic expression at the end of the comment,
which congratulates company oh having created such an advertising campaign. Nominating the
company as being fearless, not just shows that the author paid attention to the tag line of
advertisement, but also expresses sympathy for being courageous towards using images and
challenging society with sexual provocations.
One more ‘appreciative’ comment was said during the interviews by a female respondent:
“I like than adverts can translate some kind of very deep emotions like love, desire… I like than
the company can put these emotions into the ad and translate it for the people to see it, because
this is what I see here. I mean I like them and I don’t mind. I just like it. I think it’s a good idea
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
because all the associations you have with angels and that they come down here because they
are attracted to some creations like humans and the tag like is cool because I believe they want
people to subscribe to their network and it shows that I can do it without fear because there is no
catches or hooks. And I like that it is pretty modern, I mean using gay guys.”
The respondent is expressing positive feelings that have been roused by the images showing the
natural but deep emotions between two people. The idea that the company is translating and
sharing these emotions is highly appreciated too. The interpretation of the idea behind the
advertisement and what it could mean is also very positive and romantic, which again shows that
a person was pleased with the pictures and whole execution of the advertisement. Moreover, the
companies’ advertising is evaluated as also being modern; for the respondent it means using
different sexually orientated people. Overall the comment appears to be inspired and translates
positive energy perceived by the advertising campaign.
Uncertainty/Anxiety
This theme is used to define comments and responses that are expressing general negative
opinions about advertisements used as cases. Negative feelings about the advertisements can be
determined by the following aspects:
● Advertisement message is unclear;
● The impact is doubtful;
● The visualization and execution of the advertisement is not appropriate;
● Challenging personal and general stereotypes and morals;
● Provocation just for the sake of provoking.
Again, due to the controversial nature and attempt to examine provocative advertising as one of
the marketing phenomenons, negative comments in this case are named as ‘uncertainty and
anxiety’ and have been expressed in various forms and levels of negative feelings.
Again, all three advertising campaign cases gathered ‘uncertainty and anxious’ comments,
however Benetton can be named as the most popular again, mostly because of using different
types of provocations and already having a history of this kind of advertising practice.
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
The first exemplary comment of ‘uncertainty/anxious’ has been written by ‘Lani Nash’
concerning the NHS anti-smoking campaign:
“Shocking images to be sure but I think it would depend one’s personal circumstances as to
whether one is affected by them or not.” (http://blog.solopress.com/, 2012)
The comment author admits that images used for the advertisement are shocking, however he
doubts if the images themselves have a power influence in convincing a smoker to quit. Doubt of
the possible impact is explained by personal perception and understanding of such messages and
that everyone reacts to them and creates their own conclusion. In general, the users comment is
neither positive nor negative; however the impact is the subject under discussion.
The next example for this theme is for the same NHS anti-smoking campaign, however this time
different aspects of uncertainty/anxiety have been defined. An anonymous commentator writes:
“Surely by quitting, you're not fighting back, but running away. Or avoiding meeting the
attacker, at least.” (http://www.theguardian.com/, 2009)
In this case, the author doubts if the message in the tag line goes well together with what was
intended to be said in the beginning of the campaign. Giving clear example how he would
interpret the message of the advertisement,the author points at the possible misinterpretations
and misunderstandings, by giving example, the author even shows how this advertisement can be
perceived as an encouragement. This comment revealed unclearness of message and execution
gaps, which lead to the misinterpretation and a totally different perception of what was intended.
Another example contributing to this theme is based on Benetton’s advertising campaign. The
first comment is written by ‘SUPER USER’ and states the following:
“I really think this picture is not appropriate. Not because Obama is kissing a man but because
he is married with children......” (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/, 2012)
The commentator is appealing to families and their feelings, this is the main argument which is
stated by the author as to why advertisements by Benetton, in his perspective, appear
inappropriate. In addition, it is also stated that the commentator didn’t find anything negative
about a man kissing another man, however and were much more concerned about their families
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
reactions towards this advertisement. Sensitivity and quite an unusual perception of this
advertisement lead this author to the conclusion that the advertisement after all is not
appropriate.
A very short but expressive opinion is written by the user named ‘Waydownsouth’ who states:
“Absolutely disgusting” (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/, 2011)
The author does not explain which aspect of the advertisement gave him this disgusted feeling,
however it is obvious that in general the author emotions are negative, and images selected by
Benetton company made him create disturbing associations. A similar opinion has been
expressed by one of the male respondents during the interviews:
“Homophobic….
Because its disgusting for me to see two men kissing. If it would be two woman…. Because they
are also old men, maybe if they would be two models it would be less disgusting. What else?
Actually, for me it makes opposite effect than make me buy Benetton clothes, it makes me, it dont
succeed. But it makes you notice, but it makes you do it in the negative view.”
In this case the respondent is explaining that for him seeing two older men kissing is disgusting
and gives him homophobic feelings. It is possible to assume that for respondent being exposed to
what in his perception is referred to other sexual orientation gives negative feeling and makes
feel uncomfortable. The respondent also adds that even though the aim of the advertising
campaign is to sell certain products, in this case clothes, this type of advertisement does not
encourage him to do that at all. The respondent agrees that this type of advertising makes people
notice the company and become aware of what they do, however the chosen way to do that
creates a negative perception about the company and does not lead the customer to the main goal
– purchasing. One more male interview respondent agrees with the aforementioned statement
and complements it by using the same arguments.
Another forum user ‘SHHP’ is supporting ‘uncertainty/anxiety’ comments by writing:
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
“If Benetton put even half as much energy into designing decent clothes as it does into its
ludicrious
advertising
campaigns,
the
company
would
be
a
lot
better
off.”
(http://www.dailymail.co.uk/, 2011)
In this particular comment, the author is stating that that the advertising campaigns are not in line
with the company and its products, and expresses doubt that their clothes as equally thought
through as their advertising campaign. This statement is supported by one of the female
respondents answer who states:
“From these adverts I feel something different than from the brand, because the product to me is
very average, okay many different colours… But they are not outstanding at all, like their
adverts. They are going for it, they are not afraid, but they clothes are not anyhow beyond the
standards. The advert is on a bit different level than the actual product.”
The respondent is expressing similar opinions as the online commentators stating that the
product itself does not match the outstanding and courageous advertisements. It leads to
confusion about the brand and its general perception, at the same time creating neutral or
negative associations with the company and its products. In this case ‘uncertainty/anxiety’ is
being related to separated messages that the company and its products are sending.
Moving on, the Virgin mobile case was no exception to this theme and the first example is
written by an anonymous commentator:
“I think it's tacky, but that kinda goes without saying.” (http://www.webegtodiffer.com/, 2009)
The commentator is declaring that the advertisement is just an example of bad taste and bad
marketing. After stating this, the author is adding that it should be obvious to everyone, trying to
portray his own perception of the advertisement and general mind frame. In addition, the
commentator fails to explain what made him feel that the advertisement is “tacky”, so it is hard
to understand why such a feeling was provoked.
Another online forum user who decided to stay anonymous states:
“people today are way toooo sexual. thats the problem, and these ads represent this more than
ever” (http://www.vancitybuzz.com/, 2010)
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
With this comment, the author is declaring that in his perspective the biggest problem about the
advertisement is that it is promoting sexuality, which according to the author is already exhibited
too much society nowadays. This is the biggest worry of the commentator, and in his perception
this advertisement is a good example that represents this trend best. Again, the commentator is
defining society according to his frame of mind and associating the advertisement to that trend.
This idea has been agreed upon by a male respondent who states that:
“I cant really relate the message and the advertisement with the product, I don’t think they are
related is just picture that young people likes. <….> This company is promoting things that are
fashionable and use sex as a tool”
Here the respondent is expressing his opinion that provocation is used just for the sake of
provocation, and that sexual images are being used due to its ability to attract young people, and
sell them their services.
Lastly the incongruence between the company product and advertisement is expressed by online
forum user ‘GAY CRUISING’:
“Very interesting development in the corporate marketing strategies - I don't know how to feel
about this. They're using gay culture and the push for gay rights as a selling point for cell
phones - it kind of seems wrong.” (http://www.towleroad.com/, 2009)
The author is expressing his concerns about how the product is related to certain sexual
orientations. The commentator doubts the ethics of this kind of advertising when a group is being
promoted and their rights pushed just to get attention, but not actually having something as their
message about certain sexual group rights. It is possible to assume that manipulation of certain
sexual groups are perceived negatively by the author of the comment and in his mindset is not at
all related to the product itself.
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
CHAPTER SIX
Discussion
This research has explored the use of provocative advertising campaigns from the perspective of
mass communications research. The study has sought to determine how consumers perceive,
interpret and respond to provocation based on their emotional experiences when exposed to three
provocative print advertising campaigns, selected for the purpose of this study.
In recent years, studies have acknowledged the relevance of shock appeal in campaigns, with
some studies attempting to categorize and conceptualize the appeals employed by advertisers
(Garfield, 2000; Vranica, 2000; Cooper, 1996; Vagnoni, 1999; Hall, 1997; as cited in Dahl et al.,
2003). Though its acceptance as an appeal has been frequently debated, academics have often
turned their interest to the factors which may play a role in consumer perception, acceptance and
rejection of provocative advertising. Studies have sought to determine the roles played by
elements such as gender, culture and age and equally the effects of specific appeals, such as fear
and information (Dahl et al., 2003; Parry et al., 2013; Klugg and Ellis, 2012). Furthermore, until
now research has been concentrated on the effectiveness of shock appeals and provocative
advertising on the consumer’s attention, memory and subsequent behavior.
Though some efforts have been made to explore consumer attitudes and emotional reactions to
provocative campaigns, the literature is predominantly concerned with the sector in which the
technique is employed and the cultural characteristics of the consumer (Parry et al., 2013).
Equally, consumers provoked responses to advertising appeals have not been theorized, with
little attention given to the voice of the consumer and how the viewer feels when confronted with
such material.
The attempt of this paper was to conceptualize emerging themes from both online dialogue and
semi-structured interviews in an attempt to fill this knowledge gap. Whilst previous studies have
conducted research into the effectiveness of shock appeals via methods such as focus groups,
between-subjects experimental design and questionnaires, this paper is the first to attempt to gain
an understanding into how the consumer interprets a provocative campaigns message, and how
they subsequently voice their emotional response, in terms of thoughts and feelings.
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
What this study intended to contribute were findings which would provide an understanding of
common consumer responses when provoked by three specific advertising appeals, used in the
marketing of three unprovocative products or services. Further, the study aimed to provide
insight into how an understanding of consumer responses to such campaigns can inform the
marketing campaigns of other advertiser seeking to incorporate provocative or shock appeals into
their marketing plans. Finally, the study also desired to contribute to the existing literature by
providing a greater understanding of provocative appeals used in the marketing of unprovocative
products and services.
The three campaigns chosen represented the use of a number of “shock appeals,” namely
disgusting images (NHS), sexual references (Virgin Mobile) and religious taboos (Benetton)
(Dahl et al., 2003). Using campaigns that have received a great deal of criticism, publicity and
exposure to the consumer allowed for the collection of rich data, and thus insightful opinions.
With exposure to these campaigns through the methods of online observation and interaction,
and semi-structured interviews, the research findings suggested a number of recurring emotional
responses exhibited by consumers when confronted by the provocative advertising campaigns.
Findings
After analysis of the gathered data, which have been explained in the method chapter, eight
themes were identified. Each of the themes represent generalized attitudes towards all three cases
used for the research. The themes with generalized attitudes consist of comments gathered from
online forums, discussion boards, and conducted interviews.
The first general finding that has been defined during the interviews is that even though they
were conducted with 21 -31 years old respondents, which in the beginning of his paper were
defined as the new, modern consumers’ generation, the geographical and cultural background
had an impact for respondents answers. A few of the respondents even mentioned phrases such
as “where I come from it would be treated as…” and “my country is a bit conservative with this
theme” which proves that the basic frame for interpretations and perceptions of certain
information or images are being filtered not just by personal beliefs, morals and ethics but by
certain social attitudes and norms existing in one’s homeland. Of course perspective changes and
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
adapts whilst travelling, studying, working, meeting new people etc. however the minor
influence is most likely to remain.
Another major influence concerning perception of the presented cases and provocative
advertising in general, was personal stereotypes, morals, ethics (it must be mentioned here that
even though they are personal, they might be created and influenced by media, friends, parents,
educational organization etc.) that are always participating in the process of decoding the image
and message in the advertisement and relating it to the already known or experienced events.
After decoding the advertisement message it goes to another level of perception, there the
associations and images about the brand, company and its products or services are being created.
A good example of this case is Benetton; discussion participants and respondents who were
familiar with this company immediately related the company with using shocking advertisements
as their signature style. Associations are a powerful tool creating positive and negative outcomes,
such as gained or lost customers; here an example can be given from the Virgin case where
respondent is declaring that he “doesn’t want an aggressive phone company”.
Further, deep analysis of comments gathered from forums, online discussion boards and
interviews have been divided and generalized into two broad groups called extreme and mild
reactions, which are separated into eight themes that are presented below:
Third person – represents the comments and responses authors have voiced in excluding
themselves from the target group, stating that certain messages or images would work for other
society members, however they are not the desired target group and this is why they are not
affected. However, a lack of information as to why they had excluded themselves raised the
question as to whether in fact they did belong to the target market, but preferred not to be
associated with it. Sensitivity to certain themes was a motivator for this behavior too. Here Hall’s
(1973) process of decoding has been carried out and the message perceived, however its effect
has not been perceived personally.
Victimization – the term used to define comments and responses that explain the feeling of being
excluded from society due to certain behavior or types of beliefs i.e. political, religious, or
stereotyping. As Katz and Lazarsfeld have explained, the constructions and reconstructions of
certain meanings in society have been challenged, and equally have led to a perception of the
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attack of certain society groups. This group of commentators were very sensitive towards
advertisements, often feeling insulted, attacked and offended, subsequently perceiving the
advertisements negatively.
Deflection – represents the comments and responses that people have made without engaging
with the advertisement. This group of respondents and commentators haven’t been affected by
the advertisements and were commenting just for their own entertainment without expressing
any relevant emotion or feelings. This refers back to Hall’s concept of meaningful decoding,
which here has not been done by the potential target audience; rather than making sense and
leading to a desired perception and understanding, has actually led to disengagement with the
campaign and company.
Extreme responses – as its name implies refers to generalized extreme comments and remarks
that express deep affections and feelings that have been roused after exposure to the
advertisement campaign. In this case, discussants felt both personal and societal groups were
being insulted and attacked, their beliefs and moral barriers being crossed. Feelings of angriness,
revenge and fighting back have been dominant, swearing and mocking have also been used as a
form of expression. This group of comments refers to another aspect of Hall meaningful
decoding, by being perceived very personally and arousing strong feelings due to overwhelming
meaning given by the customers in the decoding process.
Desensitized – this term stands for the lack of feelings and sensitivity from the responses and
comments. Relating to Katz and Lazarsfeld’s concept of critical distance, part of the campaign
target group found themselves unaffected by certain images and criticized the company’s mass
approach. This means that even though they paid attention to certain advertisements or
advertising campaigns, they haven’t felt any strong emotions and based their reaction on the
sentiment that nowadays there is hardly anything which can rouse their emotions.
Rejection of the company/ product – this theme reflects the extreme negative reactions to certain
advertising campaigns, which leads the customer to decide not to buy from the company as an
answer to the negative emotions felt. This theme contradicts Katz and Lazarsfeld’s theory of the
media’s limited impact; in this case, the images used for the advertisements had a great impact
on all of the respondents in this group. Even though the message has been decoded as was
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
planned by the company, it challenged the general beliefs and morals of the individuals and led
them to controversial feelings and more extreme reactions than planned. In this theme, the leader
was Benetton who used a mix of different provocations in their advertisements.
Appreciation – this theme defines generally positive emotions and attitudes towards advertising
campaigns that were expressed through interest, curiosity, and appreciation of the message and
execution of advertisement. Due to its non-commercial nature and criticism of seeking the
general wealth of society in this theme, the NHS advertisements have been evaluated the most,
although Benetton and Virgin also gather a number of comments related to this theme as well.
This group of comments also stands for Hall’s concept of perfectly transparent communication,
which is desired by all the marketers and advertising creators, where the message have been
understood and meaningfully decoded from the advertisement, perceived positively and
appreciated.
Uncertainty/Anxiety – this term refers to comments and responses that expressed negative
attitudes due to an unclear message or execution, doubt about impact or provoking without any
clear reason. Here all responses and comments that expressed uncertainty about any aspect of the
advertisements have been aligned, treating them as negative due to expressing criticism towards
the advertisement or company as well as misunderstanding and misinterpretating the message
being delivered to them. This response group stands partly for Hall’s so called systematically
distorted communication; when the message is not decoded in the way that was meant and thus is
part of the reason why at the end it is perceived negatively. Another aspect of responses
underlying this theme can be treated as being decoded in the right way, which means the meant
message is extracted, but doesn’t satisfied the audience due to its content. In this case Benetton
again gathered the greatest amount of comments, however some of them were made based on
viewer’s pre-made mindset and judgment.
Contribution to existing literature
Through the completion of this study, the research has contributed to the existing literature
concerning provocative advertising in the following ways. Firstly, the research absolves the issue
that no prior academic literature has analyzed specifically the emotional responses, thoughts and
feeling of consumers following their exposure to provocative advertising campaigns. Further, the
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
existing research fails to analyze this phenomenon from the perspective of the consumer. Hence,
the research carried out in this study therefore satisfies these gaps in the prevailing literature,
providing in depth insights into how viewers think, feel and discuss their emotional responses
upon provocation of the shock appeals exhibited by the example campaigns.
In addition, the study uses the theoretical conceptions of Stuart Hall (1973) as a means of both
understanding and demonstrating clearly to the reader the process of mass media
communications. Through the analysis of the research carried out, the study adds to the existing
literature by demonstrating the process of encoding and decoding from the company’s message
production, to encoding through language discourse, to finally the steps which concern the
viewer, namely decoding and subsequent rejection or acceptance of the message. This study is
primarily concerned with the aspects that influence decoding, that is message acceptance or
rejection, and thus adds to previous research by demonstrating how consumers have interpreted
those shock appeals employed by NHS, Benetton and Virgin Mobile and whether as a result of
the provocative nature of those campaigns, the messages have been subsequently accepted or
rejected. Through the analysis of emotional responses, the study sheds light on which thoughts
and feelings lead to ultimate acceptance or rejection.
Finally, by carrying out this study, the researchers have additionally added to the literature by
confirming and developing Katz and Lazarsfeld’s opinions concerning the limited impact of
mass media communications. Through the methods employed in this study, the research adds
value by confirming that the viewer is indeed interactive, creative and communicative, beholding
a responsive and reactive relationship with the media. Thus, the study confirms prior knowledge
and expands on the existing literature by demonstrating in the discourse that viewer’s responses
are not overcome by the demands of media campaigns; media in fact has a limited impact in that
the viewer’s personal experiences and opinions influence the ultimate success of message
interpretation.
Implications
Managerial implications
After analyzing the three examples of shock advertising campaigns, it was observed that the
encoding process is dependent on each individual person’s values, morals, and ethics, which
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
cannot be controlled by the marketer. The general advertisement message and idea behind the
whole advertising campaign can be aligned by the marketing manager or the whole department,
however, the control of how the message is going to be perceived and understood by the
customer is very much dependent on each individual and cannot be controlled or influenced.
Another aspect of provocative advertising is its ability to make a huge buzz around the campaign
and attract attention, not differentiating it between positive or negative. Depending on the initial
company’s goals it can used as one of their marketing strategies to gain awareness about the
product or company, as well as gaining exposure to a wider audience of potential consumers
through different media channels that are publishing articles about them, as was happening in all
three cases discussed in this paper.
The third aspect which is very important here, is that provocative advertising and its perception
depends heavily on its alignment with the brand or company’s image and the advertised
product/service itself. As was visible from commentators’ discussions and interviewee responses,
the relation between advertisement and product being advertised created a certain image of the
company, which had influenced further reactions of the product/service. Even more, provocative
advertising in relation to the company’s image played an influential role in certain advertisement
perception and association creation.
Research Implications
With consideration of existing literature and the limitations of this study, a number of
recommendations for future research in the field of provocative advertising are suggested.
Firstly, it is agreed that with the imposing time and resources restraints of this study, it is
recommended that future research consider the effect of provocative campaigns on a wider scale.
By wider scale, the researchers suggest future research analyses the emotional responses
demonstrated by viewers when exposed to other shock appeals, since this study was limited to
three: disgusting images, sexual references, and religious taboos.
It is also worth suggesting researchers consider how emotional responses of viewers affect
consumer purchasing behavior, both short term and long term. This aspect of provocative
advertising would concern the consumers overall perception of a brand or company and how
their provocation from campaigns transfers into actual purchasing behavior.
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
Further, it is recommended that researchers consider the use of alternative methodological
approaches. This study employed the qualitative measures of online observation and semistructured interviews; it is possible that these findings may be enriched further through focus
group discussions and surveys and or questionnaires.
An additional consideration to future research involves the analysis of the long-term effects of
provocative campaigns. Given that shock appeals have been frequently utilized in recent years by
companies, it may be insightful for researchers to consider the long-term effects these campaigns
have had on the viewer’s opinions and perception the company.
Finally, given the nature of this study, it was not possible to consider cultural differences
concerning viewer’s emotional responses. Though it is known the semi-structured interviewees
were of diverse nationalities, it cannot be recorded or known for certain the nationalities or
cultures of those discussants in the online observations. It is therefore recommended researchers
consider how message interpretation and level of provocation affects those individuals of
different cultures, to gather insight into the tolerance and acceptance of provocation from
different nations.
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Consumer Response and Interpretation of Provocative Advertising through Message Encoding and Association Creation
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Appendix 1.
Interview Guide
Introducing and ice breaker questions
1. Name
2. Age
3. Nationality
4. Field of studies
5. General opinion about advertising and adverts
Brief introduction (guidance) as to what we are doing. Showing one advert at a time, the following
questions are asked for each of the used images.
1. How do you feel after seeing this advertisement?
2. Which emotions did you feel were roused whilst viewing this advertisement? (Please name and
describe them briefly)
3. What type of product/service/cause do you think is being advertised?
4. Could you describe what you perceive to be the main message from this advertisement?
5. What is your general opinion about the advertising campaign? (Positive, negative, neutral)
6. After seeing this advertisement, what kind of associations come to mind that can be related to
the brand and advertised product, service, or cause?
7. Is there anything that makes you feel uncomfortable about the advertisement? If so, what?
8. Would this advertisement trigger your curiosity to get to know more about the
product/service/cause or the company itself?
9. Would you purchase the advertised product/service/cause?
Finishing the interview and wrapping up
1. Which of the three advertisements did you like the most? Why?
2. How did it feel to be confronted with such images?
3. Did you expect such emotions to become roused?
4. What are your general impressions about these advertising campaigns?
5. Do you prefer this type of advertising, or do you prefer softer, more persuasive means of
advertising?
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