Year: 2012
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Irony is used extensively in advertising, but its effects have been rarely examined experimentally. The present study consists of two parts and evaluates effects of the presence (absence) of irony in otherwise identical commercials. Part 1 of the experiment examines the effect of irony on implicit and explicit measures of attitudes. Part 2 examines effects on explicit and implicit measures of the brand attribute “masculine”. The commercials strengthened the implicit associations between advertised brand and relevant product attributes in Part 1 and marginally in Part 2. However, the increase in associative strength was not dependent on the presence (absence) of irony. There were no differences between conditions on explicit measures of attitudes and product associations. As the ironic elements used in the present study are seemingly neutral in this respect, implications are that skepticism to use irony as a communicative device for other means is unwarranted. Alternative reasons for employing irony in commercials, as well as further directions for studying the use of irony and other forms of figurative language in marketing, are discussed.
Author: Kristian Rognstad
Language: English
Subfield: Marketing
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: Universitetet i Oslo
OpenAlex ID: W2304041351