Guilt appeals in advertising: the mediating roles of inferences of manipulative intent and attitude towards advertising

Abstract

Literature identifies three classifications of guilt namely, anticipatory, reactive and existential guilt. However most studies in guilt are devoted towards charitable advertisements and this has limited our understanding of guilt appeals in advertising. Guilt appeal is increasingly importantfor advertisers, due to changes in demographics and family lifestyles. It has led to higher prevalence of guilt appeals in luxury and symbolic brands which are previously unexplored. Based on the research gaps, a research framework is proposed to examine these untested relationships between attitude towards the ad, ad credibility, inferences of manipulative intentand guilt arousal. Potential contributions are also discussed.