Antismoking TV advertisements that depict the graphic health harms of smoking and produce the greatest responses of fear or disgust - such as those in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's current national antismoking campaign - are the most effective, a University of North Dakota study finds.
Researchers surveyed 144 women and men aged 18 to 33; 84 percent were current nonsmokers. All participants viewed six antismoking television advertisements that depicted the health harms of smoking and rated their responses of fear and disgust and the effectiveness of the advertisements.
Researchers found that the three advertisements that elicited the highest ratings of fear and disgust were rated the most effective among viewers.
Research: The Role of Fear and Disgust in Predicting the Effectiveness of Television Advertisements That Graphically Depict the Health Harms of Smoking, Nancy Vogeltanz-Holm, PhD,