Youth responses to anti-smoking advertisements from tobacco-control agencies, tobacco companies, and pharmaceutical companies

Abstract

Emotional reactions to anti-smoking advertising (e.g., fear, sadness, anger) may play an important role in promoting smoking-related attitudinal and behavioral change. Overall, 278 youth completed response ratings of 16 different elements of 50 anti-smoking ads made by tobacco-control agencies, tobacco companies, and pharmaceutical companies. Compared with tobacco-control ads, tobacco-company ads were more likely to elicit positive emotions and less likely to elicit negative emotions and to be of interest to youth. Compared with tobacco-control ads, pharmaceutical company ads were less likely to elicit negative emotional responses or cognitively engage youth and more likely to elicit positiv..