A new study from Warwick Business School has found women are likely to buy the product if the images are used subtly.
Previous studies on how using attractive models affects women’s perception of the product have been contradictory, but a new look at the subject has found that only adverts using images of perfectly shaped models subtly actually lead to consumers liking the product.
Through a series of tests the team of researchers found different responses to the adverts from the women.
Dr Tamara Ansons, Assistant Professor at Warwick Business School, said “It showed that when consumers are blatantly exposed to idealised images of thin and beautiful women they are more likely to use a defensive coping strategy to boost self-evaluation by denigrating the pictured woman.
“This can negatively affect the products these models endorse through the transfer of the negative evaluation of the model to the endorsed product.
“However when subtly exposed to these perfectly shaped models consumers do not engage in defensive coping by disparaging the model. Instead it leads to negative self-evaluation but does not interfere with their evaluation of the pictured model. Thus, the generally positive evaluation of the model leads to a favourable reaction to the product she is endorsing.”
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