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Abstract
Through content analysis of infomercials and commercials, this study examines the influence of advertising format (commercials vs. infomercials), advertising approach (soft sell vs. hard sell) and product category (fashion products vs. electrical appliances) on the values that are shown in advertisements. Five hundred fifty-six infomercials and 861 commercials broadcast in Israel in the late 1990s were coded. Infomercials are much longer than commercials, but they are less dense in values, repeatedly mentioning few functional qualities that are proximate to values held by infomercial shoppers. With regards to the distinction between hard sell and soft sell commercials - hard sell adverts share, to a lesser extent, infomercials' tendency to emphasize functional values, but like soft sell commercials they are much more dense in values than infomercials. The product category also influences the representation of values, as manifested in a greater representation of hedonistic values in fashion products and a greater representation of functional values in electrical appliances. However, the influence of the product category is found both in infomercials and commercials, and it does not interact with the effect of the format.
