Turns Out Women Don’t Want to buy Stuff from Skinny Models
3:30 pm, February 28th | by Meredith Lepore
The saying goes “You can never be too rich or too thin.” But being too thin may actually be a negative trait in advertising. According to researchers from Warwick Business School, women are turned off by products placed next to large scale or close-up images of female models and celebrities, especially very thin ones like Miranda Kerr. When women see these models or beautiful actresses, instead of thinking ‘I want to look like this person so I will buy that product,’ it actually stimulates feelings of scorn. This helps the onlooker dismiss insecurity about her own looks, and not want the product.
But don’t write off skinny models just yet — it is all about placement. If the model is not as prominent in a shot, female shoppers are still inclined to buy.
From The Daily Mail:
“When exposure to these images of beautiful models is subtle, a subconscious automatic process of upward social comparison takes place leading to a negative self-perception. But that led to a more positive attitude towards the brand.
Yet when the exposure to the idealised image of a woman is blatant, a conscious process is activated and consumers employ defensive coping strategies.
For instance, they belittle the model or celebrity to restore a positive perception of themselves. So the product in the advert becomes associated with negative reactions.”
Dr. Anson, who conducted the study, said, “Attractive female models and celebrities are routinely used in advertisements and yet previous research has shown mixed reactions: some have found the effect to be positive, while others have found it to be negative. We wanted to find out why this was. We found that a woman’s self-perception and consequent effects on product evaluation depend on the degree of attention paid to the idealised image of a woman in advertisements.’
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