Theories and Messages in South Korean Antismoking Advertising

Abstract

This study evaluated antismoking advertisements in South Korean television by drawing upon a Health Communication article by Cohen, Shumate, and Gold (2007) and on Gold, Cohen, and Shumate’s (2008) typology. This study examined the theories and messages in South Korean antismoking advertisements. First, South Korean antismoking advertisements primarily targeted adults. In addition, the advertisements for adults normally used statistical evidence, whereas those for adolescents often used testimonial evidence. In terms of the type of performance, narration was often used in advertisements for both adults and adolescents. Second, the most prevalent persuasive health message used social norms, whereas the most prevalent affective appeal used fear appeals. Third, antismoking advertisements in South Korea mentioned more benefits of not smoking than barriers to not smoking. This study also identified the message difference in the U.S. and South Korean antismoking advertisements.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors thank Dr. Elisia L. Cohen (Department of Communication, University of Kentucky) for sharing her codebook, and Dr. Youjin Choi (Dongkuk University, South Korea) for her insightful critiques to earlier version of this article.