Pictures can sell more

Do Emotional Images in Advertising Pull at Heart Strings?

Puppies and babies elicit reactions from women; less so from men

NEW YORK, Nov. 12, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- In order to connect with their audience, some advertisers use humor, others use startling facts, and others still use images or themes that might elicit an emotional response. When asked about a few images often used in advertising to elicit a reaction from viewers, two in five Americans (41%) say that given the options of "a puppy", "a baby", "a sweet old lady" and "a sweet old man", a puppy is most likely to tug at their heart-strings when they see it in a commercial. One-third say a baby (34%) is most likely to do so, while small percentages say a sweet old lady (3%) or a sweet old man (2%); 19% say none of these is likely to tug at their heart-strings.

These are some of the findings of a new Adweek Media/ Harris Poll, survey of 2,098 U.S. adults surveyed online between October 5 and 7, 2010 by Harris Interactive.

Differences by Gender

When examining which image is most likely to get an emotional response from viewers, there are interesting gender differences. Women are more likely than men to say that when they see it in a commercial a puppy is likely to tug at their heart-strings (45% of women say so, compared to 37% of men), and that a baby is likely to tug at their heart-strings (39% of women say so, compared to 29% of men). While women and men seem equally unaffected when they see a sweet old lady (3% and 4%) or a sweet old man (3% and 1%) in a commercial, men are much more likely than women to say that none of the given options are likely to tug at their heart-strings—three in ten men say this (29%), compared to just one in ten women who do (10%).

Differences by Age

Although all American adults seem equally as likely to say that a puppy will tug at their heart-strings when they see it in a commercial (between 40% and 42% of each age group say this), adults aged 35-44 and 45-54 are more likely than both those younger and those older to say that they are affected when they see a baby in a commercial. Almost two in five of those 35-44 (39%) and 45-54 (38%) say that when they see a baby in a commercial it is likely to tug at their heart-strings, compared to fewer younger Americans, aged 18-34 (30%), and older Americans, 55 and older (34%), who say the same. It might be that those in the middle age groups are more likely than those older or younger to have young children, which could explain why they react to seeing images of babies. This theory is further supported as those adults with a child at home say they are more likely to feel a tug at their heart-strings when they see a baby in a commercial (48% of those with a child in the household, compared to just 30% of those who do not have a child in the house). Adults without a child at home are more likely however to say that the image of a puppy tugs at their heart-strings (45%, compared to 29% who have a child at home).

So What?

It is interesting to learn which images appeal to different groups of people. While it seems that a puppy is a reasonably good choice if an advertiser is looking to emotionally connect with viewers, the question is whether a 'tug at the heart-strings' actually drives consumers to action, rather than just providing a fleeting emotional hook. Additionally, from this survey it's not entirely clear which themes most appeal to men in advertising, as these traditionally heart-warming images don't seem to be it.