The Moderating Effect of Appearance Self-Esteem on Females’ Identification of and Reaction to Sexually-Themed Advertising

Abstract

This research examines whether the impact of thematic fit of product positioning with sexual themes on female consumer responses varies as a function of appearance self-esteem (ASE). Study 1 demonstrates that perceived identification with sexual themes leads to more negative attitudes toward advertising and brand. Study 2 shows that higher ASE participants have more negative ad attitudes when exposed to sexual themes paired with utilitarian product positioning (low fit) than with hedonic product positioning (high fit). Furthermore, our findings reveal that the feeling of disgust partially mediates the relationship between ASE and attitudes. Theoretical and practical marketing implications are discussed.