Advertising Content and Irritation: A Study of 226 TV Commercials

Abstract The irritation caused by 226 Belgian commercials, broadcast in 1995, is measured across a representative sample of consumers and an extensive content analysis of the commercials is carried out. The relationship between ad characteristics and the level of irritation is studied. Furthermore, the interaction effects between ad characteristics on the one hand and the product category advertised and campaign weight on the other is analysed. On the basis of our findings, we can conclude that, as far as avoiding irritation in advertising is concerned, it not only matters how advertisers say it, but also what they are talking about and how often they repeat it. Moreover, each of the factors mentioned influence each other.

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