The Relationship between Programme Context and Memory for Sexually Humorous Television Advertisements

Anthea H.y Cheung ,Adrian Furnham

doi:10.4236/psych.2021.122016

Abstract

This study investigated the programme context effect on the memory for embedded TV advertisements. Participants watched a video consisted of either a non-humorous programme or a humorous programme, with six advertisements inserted into the mid break. Advertisements were either non- humorous or humorous of which three of them contained sexual themes. Participants had to rate the programme, and were tested on brand recognition, free recall and cued recall. Humorous advertisements were better recalled within non-humorous programme while non-humorous advertisements were better recalled within humorous programme. Humorous advertisements with sexual content were recalled the least compared to those without this content. Implications and limitations were noted.

Highlights

IntroductionViolence or humour sell? (Lull & Bushman, 2015). That is, are advertisements with sexual or humorous imagery and themes more impactful in the sense that they are better remembered and lead to more sales? Does this depend as much on the programme within which the ads occur, and, if so, should the context be similar or different? This study is about this important area of research
Does sex, violence or humour sell? (Lull & Bushman, 2015)
This study looks at memory for sexually humorous and non-humorous advertisements in a humorous and non-humorous television programme

Summary

Introduction

Violence or humour sell? (Lull & Bushman, 2015). That is, are advertisements with sexual or humorous imagery and themes more impactful in the sense that they are better remembered and lead to more sales? Does this depend as much on the programme within which the ads occur, and, if so, should the context be similar or different? This study is about this important area of research. (Lull & Bushman, 2015). That is, are advertisements with sexual or humorous imagery and themes more impactful in the sense that they are better remembered and lead to more sales? Does this depend as much on the programme within which the ads occur, and, if so, should the context be similar or different? This study is about this important area of research. The literature on the use of sexual imagery and humour in advertising has been kept apart whereas in effect many ads combine the two. We attempt to move this literature forward by looking at advertisements which combine both.

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Conclusion