Sexually Explicit Advertisements Boost Consumer Recycling Due to Moral Cleansing Goal Activation
Document Type
Article
Journal/Book Title/Conference
Marketing Letters
Publisher
Springer New York LLC
Publication Date
6-29-2023
First Page
1
Last Page
14
Abstract
Building on research showing that sexually explicit advertisements (i.e., those depicting figuratively "dirty" content) are viewed as immoral, three experiments propose and demonstrate that exposure to figuratively dirty (vs. clean) advertisements activates consumers' moral cleansing goals, which subsequently boosts recycling-related behaviors. These effects do not arise for literally dirty (vs. clean) advertisements, helping to support a goal activation account, rather than mere semantic priming. Further, the effect of figuratively dirty (vs. clean) advertisements on recycling-related behavior is amplified for consumers higher in internalized moral identity. These findings contribute to the literatures on consumer goal activation, moral identity, and sustainability, and have practical implications for marketers considering explicit advertising campaigns and public policy makers wanting to better understand the drivers of consumer recycling.
Recommended Citation
Meng, Matthew D., and Jessica Gamlin (2023), "Sexually Explicit Advertisements Boost Consumer Recycling Due to Moral Cleansing Goal Activation," Marketing Letters.
