Not just a pretty face! The impact of model facial expression and body mass index on the effectiveness of health advertising

Obesity is associated with preventable deaths worldwide. It leads to poor health, reduced quality of life and increased healthcare costs (Flegal, Graubard, Williamson, & Gail, 2007). Obesity can also affect individuals’... [ view full abstract ]

Obesity is associated with preventable deaths worldwide. It leads to poor health, reduced quality of life and increased healthcare costs (Flegal, Graubard, Williamson, & Gail, 2007). Obesity can also affect individuals’ self-esteem and mental health (Krishen & Worthen, 2011). Social marketing campaigns that include mass media advertising to promote healthy eating are among the initiatives proposed by the World Health Organisation in their portfolio of actions to tackle obesity. This study investigates the optimal presentation of models in health advertisements in order to heighten visual attention to the advertisement and trigger consumer health goals. Two eye-tracking experiments are carried out to determine the impact of: (1) model facial expression (serious versus fake smile versus Duchenne smile) and (2) model body mass index (low versus high) on consumer’s attention to visual and verbal ad elements and their intent to diet. We combine self-reported intention responses and objective attention measured with eye-tracking equipment to generate novel insights. Recommendations are developed to guide the design of effective health advertisements to ultimately enhance the deployment of scarce marketing resources.