Fast-food Advertising Research Articles

Nigerian adolescents’ exposure to fast food marketing via Instagram

ObjectivesTo explore the promotion of fast food to lower-income adolescents on Instagram with the specific aims of (i) identifying the marketing strategies used by fast food brands on Instagram to promote fast food to Nigerian adolescents and (ii) examining the influence of these strategies on user engagement.DesignA content analysis of posts from a 90-day period of the Instagram accounts of five fast-food brands in Nigeria was conducted. Overall, 576 posts were analysed, using a codebook developed based on the relevant literature, to identify adolescent-targeted strategies. User engagement was measured by number of likes each post received.ResultsThe observed brands frequently utilised adolescent-targeted marketing strategies, with the most popular strategies being emotional appeal, ‘teen language’ and product appeal. The results of Mann-Whitney U tests revealed significant associations between the use of these promotional strategies and user engagement. Adolescent-aimed strategies like product appeal and competitions resulted in higher user engagement with fast food promotional content.ConclusionFast food companies heavily target lower income adolescents through the use of Instagram. This raises health concerns related to the consumption of unhealthy food that arises from regular advertising in that demographic. Further, this exposure increases ad interactions that could cause adolescents to view fast foods more positively. Overall, findings indicate the need for actions aiming to limit and reduce the effect of adolescents’ exposure to fast food marketing on social media, to target the features of social media platforms which affords users the ability to interact with fast food advertisements.

The Impact of Fast-Food Video Advertisements Through The Eyes of Young Creative Industry Practitioners

Video advertising has become a crucial marketing strategy for fast-food restaurants. While previous studies have identified factors influencing video advertisement effectiveness, these factors have yet to be investigated in light of current market preferences. In bridging this gap, it is crucial to consider the perspectives of young industry creative practitioners, who, with their dual roles as professionals and members of the target market, offer fresh insights into the factors influencing video advertisement effectiveness in alignment. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the fast-food video advertisements effectiveness in today’s market, specifically through the eyes of young creative industry practitioners. This study examines the effectiveness of fast-food video advertisements, focusing on content engagement, emotional arousal, information trustworthiness, and visual characteristics. Informant interview was utilized in the study, with data saturation achieved after collected insights from six interviewees who fulfilled the sampling criteria. The collected data underwent analysis using NVivo, involving coding and thematic analysis. The findings have substantiated strong relationships between visual attractiveness, content engagement, and the fast-food video advertisements effectiveness. However, it was determined that emotional arousal and information trustworthiness do not have a significant relationship with the fast-food advertisements effectiveness. Overall, this study contributes valuable insights for advertising agencies and offers a theoretical enhancement to existing models. Keywords: Fast-food restaurants, video advertisement, young creative industry practitioners, advertising effectiveness, advertisement content.

Edible Bodies? Conspicuous Consumption, Women’s Bodies and Postcolonial Masculinities in Fast-Food Advertisements in Zimbabwe

ABSTRACT While existing scholarship has primarily focused on examining how women are often objectified and sexualised in fast-food marketing advertisements, this article shifts the focus to demonstrate how such advertisements reveal the construction, performance and negotiation of precarious masculinities. By concentrating on advertisements from a Zimbabwean fast-food chain, Mambo’s Chicken, this article argues that advertisements framing women as edible items offer insights into how precarious masculinities are constructed, performed and negotiated within the postcolonial context of Zimbabwe. Specifically, it examines the use of sexual humour, banter and innuendo in advertisements from Mambo’s Chicken, considering the complex issues inherent in conspicuous consumption and how they illuminate multifaceted insecurities that men navigate as they attempt to assert their dominance. This negotiation of masculinity occurs within a paradoxical context characterised by excessive consumerism and precarious economic conditions.

Understanding the Interaction Effects of Sexual Appeals and Social Eating Cues in Food Advertisements on Attention, Memory, and Purchase Intention

ABSTRACT Sexual appeals and social eating cues are pervasive elements within fast food advertising, widely recognized for their presumed effectiveness. However, their combined impact on cognitive processing and behavior remains understudied. This study sought to address this gap by examining how social eating cues (individual vs. group) in fast food ads would influence individual responses, as varied by the presence of sexual appeal. A mixed factorial design experiment was conducted. Results showed that fast food ads with both sexual appeals and group eating cues elicited greater attention and memory recall but decreased purchase intent versus other food ads.

Geospatial mapping of food advertisements in three low-income communities in Cape Town, South Africa

Abstract Background The South African food environment is characterized by pervasive marketing on television and in print media of unhealthy food and beverages. Little is known about the extent of outdoor food and beverage marketing (product, spatial advertising, branding) at transport interchange areas, community food outlets, and schools. Our study aimed to map outdoor food and beverage marketing within the vicinities of these areas in three low-income communities in Cape Town. Methods Data on food and beverage-related branding, product type, placement, pictures, and Global Positioning System coordinates were captured using a web-based questionnaire. Geographic Information System software was used to delimit the target communities and areas, geospatially map the physical food environment, and perform spatial analysis of the data. Results Overall, 986 food and beverage advertisement entries were observed. Preliminary results depicted trends of advertisements clustering around retailers. Spatial trends depicted that fast food and sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) advertisements were likely to collocate around transport interchange areas, while SSB advertisements were more likely to collocate near schools. The spatial trend for alcohol advertisements indicated a clustering near main roads. Spatial trends for product types varied by location. Few advertisements for fruit and vegetables were captured. Further spatial analysis is underway to assess advertisement density and proximity to youth-related areas, food outlets, and transport interchange areas. Conclusions Low-income communities, commuters, and schoolchildren in South Africa are targeted by advertisements for unhealthy foods and SSBs, indicating the need for policy intervention to regulate food marketing. Key messages • Geospatial mapping of food and beverage advertisements indicated the promotion of unhealthy products in low-income communities in South Africa. • Food and beverage adverts target school children and commuters using public transport in poorer communities.

The Impact of Facebook on Generation Z Consumer’s Fast Food Purchase Intention; Reference to Colombo District, Sri Lanka

Introduction: Due to the rising appeal of social media platforms among young individuals, fast-food advertisers see them as an efficient channel to promote businesses among youth. The fast-food industry has experienced a surge in popularity in Sri Lanka, particularly among the youth and individuals with hectic schedules. In comparison to other sectors, the franchise fast food industry in Sri Lanka extensively utilizes social media marketing for its promotional efforts. Objectives: To evaluate the impact of Facebook on generation Z consumers’ fast food purchase intention. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 242 generation Z consumers (people born between 1996 and 2010). Online questionnaire was used to gather details regarding consumers' preference for fast food purchases following advertisements on Facebook. Correlation and multiple linear regression analysis were employed to analyze the data using SPSS version 25. Results: Most of the participants were males (62.5%, n=125), who belonged to the age category of 18-25 years. Findings revealed that activities such as Likes (p<0.05), Friend's Likes (p<0.05), Comment posting (p<0.05), and Sharing (p<0.05) on Facebook had a significant impact on the intention to purchase fast food. Additionally, the study indicated generation Z consumers are receptive to fast-food advertising on Facebook. Conclusion: Generation Z consumers are receptive to fast food advertising on Facebook. Therefore, Facebook will be an effective method to promote fast food among generation Z consumers. Further, advertisements on Facebook would enhance the promotion of fastfood vendors.

A Semiotic Analysis: Exploring the Verbal Signs Found in Fast Food Online Advertisement

The linguistic landscape has changed due to social media platforms which provide real-time interaction and high dynamism. Moreover, the emergence of new media has left a profound impact on the techniques adopted by businesses to maintain a relationship with customers through digital marketing. Online advertisement is a sort of on social media platforms. Every advertisement contains signs. The language cues used in fast food ads will be examined in this study. The two objectives of this study are to identify the verbal signs in fast food commercials and examine the importance of those verbal signs. A descriptive qualitative approach is used in this study which will utilise Leech's theory of meaning and Saussure's theory of semiotics for the data analysis. The study's findings indicate that language cues were presented in the selected fast-food advertisements. Declarative sentences are used as verbal cues. The results will contribute to the current knowledge in the area pertaining to social media advertisement and its significance.

Mc. Donald’s Sebagai Sarana Propaganda Amerika di Dunia

Propaganda is a form of planned communication that contains messages that have been designed in such a way with the aim of influencing the attitudes, behavior and emotions of the propaganda target in accordance with what the propagandist wants to hope for, a means of propaganda used by the government to provide an image of a country. America as a large country in providing imagery also makes propaganda efforts, one of which is through fast-food advertisements, especially Mc Donald's. With various forms of advertisements displayed, America hopes that other countries will know that America is a big country that needs to be reckoned with. The method used in this research is descriptive analytical method. The technique of collecting data is by conducting literature and literature studies with the hypothesis that McDonald's fast-food advertisements are quite an effective tool for conveying propaganda. As a conclusion in this research, through fast food advertisements, Mc Donald's America has succeeded in raising its image in the international world as a big country both in the economic and military fields

SEMIOTIC ANALYSIS OF VERBAL SIGNS FOUND IN FAST FOOD ADVERTISEMENTS

Advertisement is a media platform used by people or companies to promote their product on social media or in public. There are signs in every advertisement. This study is concerned with analyzing the verbal signs found in fast food advertisements. There are two aims of this study: (1) to find out the verbal signs in the fast-food advertisements and (2) to analyze the meaning of the verbal signs that are found in fast-food advertisements. This study uses a descriptive qualitative method, and the data were analyzed based on the theory by Barthes (1967) about the signifier and signified and the meaning. The result of this study shows the verbal sign in the form of written text. In this research, the researchers found twenty-seven verbal signs in fast food advertisements.

Ethical Responsibility of Advertisers: Using TARES as An Ethical Model for Assessing Fast Food Advertising in Pakistan

Ethical Responsibility of Advertisers: Using TARES as An Ethical Model for Assessing Fast Food Advertising in Pakistan

Broadcast Television Is Not Dead: Exposure of Children to Unhealthy Food and Beverage Advertising on Television in Two Policy Environments (Ontario and Quebec). An Observational Study

BackgroundFood marketing can influence children’s dietary behaviors. In Canada, Quebec banned commercial advertising to children under the age of 13 y in 1980, whereas advertising to children is self-regulated by industry in the rest of the country. ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to compare the extent and power of food and beverage advertising on television to children (age: 2–11 y) in two different policy environments (Ontario and Quebec). MethodsAdvertising data for 57 selected food and beverage categories were licensed from Numerator for Toronto and Montreal (English and French markets) from January to December 2019. The 10 most popular stations for children (age: 2–11 y) and a subset of child-appealing stations were examined. Exposure to food advertisements (ads) was based on gross rating points. A content analysis of food ads was conducted, and the healthfulness of ads was assessed using Health Canada’s proposed nutrient profile model. Descriptive statistics were tabulated for the frequency of and exposure to ads. ResultsOn average, children were exposed to 3.7 to 4.4 food and beverage ads per day, exposure to fast-food advertising was highest (670.7–550.6 ads per year), advertising techniques were used frequently, and the majority (>90%) of advertised products were classified as unhealthy. On the top 10 stations, French children in Montreal were most exposed to unhealthy food and beverage advertising (712.3 ads per year), although they were exposed to fewer child-appealing advertising techniques compared with those in other markets. On the child-appealing stations, French children in Montreal were least exposed to food and beverage advertising (43.6 ads per year per station) and child-appealing advertising techniques compared with the other groups. ConclusionsThe Consumer Protection Act appears to positively impact exposure to child-appealing stations; yet, it does not sufficiently protect all children in Quebec and requires strengthening. Federal-level regulations restricting unhealthy advertising are needed to protect children across Canada.

JUNK FOOD TELEVISION ADVERTISEMENTS IN PAKISTAN AND EATING BEHAVIOR OF CHILDREN

Obesity in children is a worldwide health issue. The health of children has become a primary focus for the parents who seek healthy growth of their child therefore they research about a variety of topics, including obesity in their children. This particular research is part of a larger study which evaluated the Impact of fast-food TV advertisements on children’s eating behavior. The focus of this particular project was to assess the reaction of children after watching fast food advertisement and to find out either advertisements persuade kids towards fast food consumption or not. It will also discuss how some of these advertisements were exaggerated to persuade children to instantly convince their parents to buy them fast food. It should first be noted that overall, children are prone to bad decision making because they cannot differentiate between right or wrong and healthy or unhealthy foods. Every fast-food advertisement was found to be exaggerating for consumption, as opposed to telling truth about the nutrition content of fast foods. This is an important finding because it is just as valuable, if not more so, for parents to prevent a disease in children as it is to detect it early. All fast food advertisement was considered when assessing persuasion in terms of consumption. All advertisement used more than 50% of the time when soliciting money. These results lend ideas for future research on such topics as well as ideas to better the current state of the diseases associated with fast food. The methodologies applied to this research are quantitative method that included questionnaire whereby 300 sample sizes were selected to fill the questionnaire. My study intends to investigate that does children's eating behavior change after watching fast food advertisement? The theory I used in this research is cultivation theory and I came to the conclusion through empirical research that fast food advertisements have a lasting impact on children, not only creating cravings in them, but also making them want fast food from their parents. Moreover, the results of the study support the claim that fast food advertising affects children. Keywords: Obesity, Fast Food Advertisements, Children, Parents, Aggression, Mental Health, Physical health, Eating Habits.

EFFECTIVENESS OF THE LANGUAGE OF FAST FOOD ADVERTISEMENTS THROUGH J. BAUDRILLARD'S POSTMODERNISM

One of the dominant fields in the scope of advertising is Fast Food promotion. Junk food advertisements are viral on the Internet, television, billboards and among other types of advertisements. This has led to many people preferring it to other types of food. Several studies have also investigated the effects of junk food advertisements on people’s attitudes and preferences. Firstly, it creates some expectations which raise the desire to buy. Secondly, it associates purchase of these foods with some positive feelings such as satisfaction and happiness. Thirdly, it uses a certain entertaining dimension, thus, implying that purchase will boost a pleasant mood. Finally, people are not always conscious about the persuasive nature of advertising. In this connection, the present article aims to study how some linguistic techniques and devices in Fast Food advertisements call people for certain actions (purchase) and make these advertisements effective. The linguistic analysis of all advertisements carried out in the research mainly focused on defining and characterizing the linguostylistic devices used in fast food advertising, taking into consideration specific language levels such as lexicon, phonology, stylistics and grammar. The analysis demonstrates that nearly every advertisement uses rhetorical figures not depending on the thematic domain they come from.

Discourse analysis of fast food advertisements

This qualitative discourse analysis aimed to identify the different linguistic features used by fast food owners in their advertisements. This also explored the propaganda techniques found in fifteen (15) linguistic corpora and the meaning it communicated towards the target consumers. Data revealed that on the textual level of analysis, fast food chain advertisements used direct address, imperatives, disjunctive syntax, positive adjectives and personal pronouns. On the discursive level of analysis, the different propaganda techniques were celebrity endorsement, weasel words, promotional advertising, bribe, facts and statistics, bandwagon, advertising jingles and target audience. Fast-food chains are preferred by many people especially working or busy person, they find it advantageous because they serve food very fast, cheap, and easily replace home-cooked meals. The issues concerning fast food today are the health concerns in which their food menus are cooked by a large amount of oil and butter that tends to be high in fat, sugar and sodium. People today, particularly teenagers and kids are so obsessed with fast foods and are willing to go to great lengths to achieve their desires. Fast-food advertisements can control or power over consumers.

Ethnic differences in fast-food advertising exposure and body mass index among Asian American/Pacific Islander and White young adults

BackgroundFast-food advertising (FFA) is a potential contributor to obesity. Few studies have examined the relationship between FFA exposure and body mass index (BMI) among young adults. Furthermore, these studies have rarely examined ethnic differences in the relationship between FFA exposure and BMI, specifically across Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) subgroups. ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate ethnic differences in the association between FFA exposure and BMI in a sample of predominantly AAPI young adults. MethodsCross-sectional data were collected in 2018 from 2622 young adult college students (ages 18–25 years; 54% women) on O‘ahu, Hawai‘i. FFA exposure was assessed using a cued-recall measure. Multiple regression and analysis of covariance were used to analyze the data. ResultsA significant association was found between higher FFA exposure and higher BMI (p < 0.05; 2-tailed) in the entire sample, adjusting for ethnicity, other demographic variables, and levels of physical activity. However, when examined by ethnic group, the association between FFA exposure and BMI was not statistically significant. A statistically significant main effect of ethnicity on BMI was found. Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islanders (NHPI) reported the highest mean BMI [27.07 (SD ± 7.74) kg/m2] compared with the other four ethnic groups (p < 0.001). The effect of ethnicity on FFA exposure was not found to be statistically significant. ConclusionFFA exposure appears to adversely influence BMI in a population of predominantly AAPI young adults. Although we did not find ethnic differences in FFA exposure or in the association between FFA exposure and BMI, the current data make a case for similar future investigation with larger subgroup sample sizes. Regulations that curtail FFA exposure among young adults may be needed.

The Use of Social Media as a Persuasive Platform to Facilitate Nutrition and Health Behavior Change in Young Adults: Web-Based Conversation Study.

BackgroundGlobally, suboptimal dietary choices are a leading cause of noncommunicable diseases. Evidence for effective interventions to address these behaviors, particularly in young adults, is limited. Given the substantial time young adults spend in using social media, there is interest in understanding the current and potential role of these platforms in shaping dietary behavior.ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the influence of social media on young adults’ dietary behaviors.MethodsWe recruited 234 young adults aged 18-24 years and living in Australia, using market and social research panels. We applied a digital ethnography approach to collect data from web-based conversations in a series of forums, where participants responded to different health-themed questions related to health behavior change and persuasion on social media. We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis.ResultsParticipants described how social media influenced their decisions to change their health behaviors. Access to social support and health information through web-based communities was juxtaposed with exposure to highly persuasive fast-food advertisements. Some participants expressed that exposure to web-based health-focused content induced feelings of guilt about their behavior, which was more prominent among women. Fast-food advertisements were discussed as a contributor to poor health behaviors and indicated as a major barrier to change.ConclusionsYoung adults reported that social media is highly persuasive toward dietary behavior through different pathways of social influence. This suggests that social norms on the web are an important aspect of changing young adults’ health behaviors. The commercialization of social media also encourages poor health behaviors, largely through fast-food advertisements. Future social media–delivered dietary interventions should acknowledge the social and environmental factors that challenge the ability of young adults to make individual health behavior improvements. Care should also be taken to ensure that future interventions do not further elicit guilt in a way that contributes to poor mental health within this community.

Comparisons of Culturally Targeted Food and Beverage Advertisements in Caribbean-American Neighborhood and Non-Latinx White Neighborhood in New York City.

Purpose:This descriptive study aimed to (1) compare the number of food and beverage advertisements (ads) located in a Caribbean-American neighborhood and non-Latinx white neighborhood in New York City (NYC), and (2) qualitatively assess and compare the culturally targeted marketing themes of the food and beverage advertisements in both neighborhoods.Methods:Three research assistants photographed all outdoor food and beverage advertisements (n=361) across a 1.6 kilometer distance on a high-retail street in a Caribbean-American neighborhood and a non-Latinx white neighborhood. We used content analysis to evaluate advertising themes, and sorted food into nutritional categories (e.g., fast food and alcohol). We identified two neighborhoods with similar income levels in Queens, NYC, USA—South Ozone Park residents are predominantly non-white Caribbean Americans based on data from the NYC Department of City Planning, whereas residents of Steinway are predominantly non-Latinx white.Results:We identified a significantly higher proportion of fast-food advertisements in the Caribbean-American neighborhood (19.78%, n=36) compared with the non-Latinx white neighborhood (5.03%, n=9; p<0.001). Among beverage advertisements, 30.77% (n=56) featured alcohol brands in the Caribbean-American neighborhood, whereas 22.91% (n=41) featured alcohol brands in the non-Latinx white neighborhood. In the Caribbean-American neighborhood, 24.18% (n=44) of food and beverage advertisements referenced Caribbean culture.Conclusions:The Caribbean-American neighborhood in this study had more fast-food advertisements relative to non-Latinx white neighborhoods. More research is needed to understand the effects of culturally targeted ads on Caribbean-American communities.

Kuwait & obesity: what can you see from the city streets?

ABSTRACT Overweight and obesity have reached epidemic proportions in Kuwait, with the region recording the highest rate of adult obesity. Fast-food consumption is one of the contributors to this medical problem. This visual essay presents street views of the city affected by the obesity epidemic through photographs of fast-food displays. This essay aims to contribute to public health discussions by highlighting the association between exposure to fast-food advertising and increase in consumption of the targeted foods and beverages and subsequent modulation of dietary habits. In addition, this essay seeks to address the question of how public health campaigners and policymakers should regulate fast-food displays, installations, and advertisements in countries with prevalent obesity.

The Critical Discourse Analysis in the Persuasive Language of Hotel and Fast-Food Restaurant Advertisements

This research study attempts to analyze persuasive techniques in the hotel and fast-food restaurant advertisements in terms of critical discourse analysis techniques. Research on persuasiveness has been popular for a long time, studied as the art of speaking and features of rhetoric. Linguists have never stopped in their quest to find out what linguistic elements create persuasive effects and impact human brains to convince people about something. The research aimed to reveal what techniques were widely used in advertisements to catch customers’ attention and persuade people to purchase the products. The study was conducted based on the qualitative-quantitative method, and the data was collected from the official pages of different famous hotels and fast-food restaurants. For investigation, 50 slogans, 25 from hotels’ and 25 from fast food restaurants’ advertisements, were analyzed based on “verbal techniques” and “power words techniques.” The results of the study point to the comparative analysis of hotel and fast-food slogans, and they are represented with the help of charts and diagrams in statistical numbers. In the conclusion of the research, it became clear that the most frequent verbal technique used was the “we are different and unique” technique, and the most frequent vocabulary types were the “abundance words” and “confidence words” type of words.

The Influence of Social Eating Norms on Motivational Responses When Processing Fast Food Advertisements

ABSTRACT Social norms play a key role in dietary behaviors. This study tested the underlying mechanism behind social norm effects in the context of the influences of social eating cues (individual vs. group eating cues) in fast food advertisements on motivational responses. Our results indicated that food ads with group eating cues elicited stronger appetitive activation resulting in greater orbicularis oculi activation and greater skin conductivity level, indicating more positive emotional feelings and more sympathetic arousal, compared to food ads with individual eating cues. Group eating cues also led to more favorable self-reported attitudes toward the advertised food products and brands. Overall, findings from this study suggest that exposure to food ads with group eating cues yield greater appetitive responses toward these types of ads and their products, likely creating a stronger degree of perceived social support. Implications are discussed.