Celebrity Images in Magazine Advertisements: An Application of the Visual Rhetoric Model

Abstract This paper applies the visual rhetoric model to celebrity gender images in magazine advertising. A content analysis of 207 ads containing celebrity endorsers was conducted. Results suggest that male celebrities are associated more with a visual plus verbal presentation mode and with functional product benefits. Conversely, female celebrities are associated more with a visual only presentation mode and psychosocial product benefits. Both theoretical and practical implications are offered, along with future research suggestions.

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