Will humor increase the effectiveness of human papillomavirus (HPV) advertising? exploring the role of humor, STD information, and knowledge

ABSTRACT

In this research, we seek to provide effective message strategies to communicate stigma associated health issues such as the human papillomavirus (HPV), by exploring the roles of humor, STD information, and objective HPV knowledge. Conducted with a 2 (Humor: no vs. yes) x 2 (STD information: no vs. yes) between-subjects experiment with objective HPV knowledge as a measured moderator, findings suggested that for the lower HPV knowledge subjects, the humor ads produced higher attention to the ad, more favorable ad attitudes (A_ad), and greater behavioral intention to seek HPV prevention and treatment than the no-humor ads when there is no STD information. However, when STD information was present, for the lower HPV knowledge individuals, the no-humor ads produced greater attention and more positive A_ad than the humor ads. Humor and STD information in the ads did not affect higher HPV knowledge individuals. Implications for theory as well as practice are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Humor advertising
• health advertising
• STD information level
• knowledge effects

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hye Jin Yoon

Hye Jin Yoon (Ph.D., University of Georgia) is an Associate Professor in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Georgia. Her primary research interests are humor effects and schema incongruity processing in advertising. Other research interests include health and environmental issues in advertising and their impact on consumers and society, digital and social media advertising, and network and sentiment analysis. Her work has been published in the Journal of Advertising, Journal of Business Research, International Journal of Advertising, Journal of Health Communication, Health Communication, and Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising, among others.

Eunjin Anna Kim

Eunjin (Anna) Kim (Ph.D., University of Missouri) is an assistant professor at the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. Her primary research explores the persuasive power of storytelling, with a focus on the process and consequences of storytelling in advertising. Other research interests include digital media effects, branding, and persuasion knowledge. Her work has been published in the Journal of Advertising, Journal of Advertising Research, Marketing Letters, Psychology and Marketing, International Journal of Advertising, Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, Mobile Media & Communication, and others.

Sung in Choi

Sung In Choi, is a doctoral student in the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Georgia. Her research focuses on environmental and health risk communication. Her primary research examines the public’s emotional and cognitive responses to risk-related media messages. Other research interests include the use of media and communication technology to promote positive health and social outcomes. She is a member of the Crisis Communication Coalition’s Crisis Research Group and a lab manager of BBAM (Brain, Body, and Media) lab at UGA.