IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/mktlet/v35y2024i2d10.1007_s11002-023-09689-0.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sexually explicit advertisements boost consumer recycling due to moral cleansing goal activation

Author

Listed:
  • Matthew D. Meng

    (Utah State University)

  • Jessica Gamlin

    (University of Oregon)

Abstract

Building on research showing that sexually explicit advertisements (i.e., those depicting figuratively “dirty” content) are viewed as immoral, three experiments propose and demonstrate that exposure to figuratively dirty (vs. clean) advertisements activates consumers’ moral cleansing goals, which subsequently boosts recycling-related behaviors. These effects do not arise for literally dirty (vs. clean) advertisements, helping to support a goal activation account, rather than mere semantic priming. Further, the effect of figuratively dirty (vs. clean) advertisements on recycling-related behavior is amplified for consumers higher in internalized moral identity. These findings contribute to the literatures on consumer goal activation, moral identity, and sustainability, and have practical implications for marketers considering explicit advertising campaigns and public policy makers wanting to better understand the drivers of consumer recycling.

Suggested Citation

  • Matthew D. Meng & Jessica Gamlin, 2024. "Sexually explicit advertisements boost consumer recycling due to moral cleansing goal activation," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 35(2), pages 205-218, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:mktlet:v:35:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1007_s11002-023-09689-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s11002-023-09689-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11002-023-09689-0
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11002-023-09689-0?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Remi Trudel & Jennifer J. Argo & Matthew D. Meng, 2016. "The Recycled Self: Consumers’ Disposal Decisions of Identity-Linked Products," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 43(2), pages 246-264.
    2. Tanya L. Chartrand & Joel Huber & Baba Shiv & Robin J. Tanner, 2008. "Nonconscious Goals and Consumer Choice," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 35(2), pages 189-201, April.
    3. Jessica Gamlin & Ping Dong & Aparna A. Labroo & Aaron Robinson, 2019. "Evoking Goals to Be Responsible: When Political Cues Increase Utilitarian Choice," Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, University of Chicago Press, vol. 4(1), pages 87-96.
    4. Winterich, Karen Page & Zhang, Yinlong & Mittal, Vikas, 2012. "How political identity and charity positioning increase donations: Insights from Moral Foundations Theory," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 346-354.
    5. Aaron R. Brough & James E. B. Wilkie & Jingjing Ma & Mathew S. Isaac & David Gal, 2016. "Is Eco-Friendly Unmanly? The Green-Feminine Stereotype and Its Effect on Sustainable Consumption," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 43(4), pages 567-582.
    6. Jasmina Ilicic & Stacey M. Brennan & Alicia Kulczynski, 2021. "Sinfully decadent: priming effects of immoral advertising symbols on indulgence," Marketing Letters, Springer, vol. 32(1), pages 61-73, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kettle, Keri L. & Mantonakis, Antonia, 2024. "Look for the signature: Using personal signatures as extrinsic cues promotes identity-congruent behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    2. Daniel Baier & Theresa Maria Rausch & Timm F. Wagner, 2020. "The Drivers of Sustainable Apparel and Sportswear Consumption: A Segmented Kano Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-21, April.
    3. Lembregts, Christophe & Cadario, Romain, 2024. "Consumer-Driven Climate Mitigation: Exploring Barriers and Solutions in Studying Higher Mitigation Potential Behaviors," OSF Preprints ywus6, Center for Open Science.
    4. Olson, Erik L., 2022. "Advocacy bias in the green marketing literature: Where seldom is heard a discouraging word," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 805-820.
    5. Lembregts, Christophe & Cadario, Romain, 2024. "Consumer-Driven Climate Mitigation: Exploring Barriers and Solutions in Studying Higher Mitigation Potential Behaviors," OSF Preprints ywus6_v1, Center for Open Science.
    6. Maria Francesca Renzi & Veronica Ungaro & Laura Di Pietro & Roberta Guglielmetti Mugion & Maria Giovina Pasca, 2022. "Agenda 2030 and COVID-19: A Young Consumer’s Perception of Sustainable Consumption," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-20, November.
    7. Domingo Gil-Giménez & Gladys Rolo-González & Ernesto Suárez & Gabriel Muinos, 2021. "The Influence of Environmental Self-Identity on the Relationship between Consumer Identities and Frugal Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(17), pages 1-15, August.
    8. Komal Nagar, 2018. "Assessing the Impact of Online Retailer Models on Consumer’s Attitude and Purchase Intentions," IIM Kozhikode Society & Management Review, , vol. 7(1), pages 1-12, January.
    9. Ming, Yaxin & Deng, Huixin & Wu, Xiaoyue, 2022. "The negative effect of air pollution on people's pro-environmental behavior," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 142(C), pages 72-87.
    10. Victor Stango & Jonathan Zinman, 2014. "Limited and Varying Consumer Attention: Evidence from Shocks to the Salience of Bank Overdraft Fees," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 27(4), pages 990-1030.
    11. T. Poehlman & Ravi Dhar & John Bargh, 2016. "Sophisticated by Design: the Nonconscious Influence of Primed Concepts and Atmospheric Variables on Consumer Preferences," Customer Needs and Solutions, Springer;Institute for Sustainable Innovation and Growth (iSIG), vol. 3(1), pages 48-61, March.
    12. Alexandria M. Gain & Leonard V. Coote & André Bonfrer, 2024. "Conceptualising and measuring consumer perceptions of brand wastefulness," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 31(6), pages 557-575, November.
    13. Jodie Kleinschafer & Mark Morrison & David Dowell, 2018. "The importance of the service encounter in influencing identity salience and volunteering behavior in the cultural sector," International Review on Public and Nonprofit Marketing, Springer;International Association of Public and Non-Profit Marketing, vol. 15(4), pages 455-474, December.
    14. Fanny Reniou & Elisa Monnot, 2023. "Consumer Discipline: A Safeguard to Maintain Sustainable Consumption Patterns," THEMA Working Papers 2023-19, THEMA (THéorie Economique, Modélisation et Applications), Université de Cergy-Pontoise.
    15. Lisette Ibanez & Sébastien Roussel, 2022. "The impact of nature video exposure on pro-environmental behavior: An experimental investigation," Post-Print hal-03847453, HAL.
    16. Klesse, Anne-Kathrin & Goukens, Caroline & Geyskens, Kelly & de Ruyter, Ko, 2012. "Repeated exposure to the thin ideal and implications for the self: Two weight loss program studies," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 355-362.
    17. Catherine Janssen & Joëlle Vanhamme & Adam Lindgreen & Cécile Lefebvre, 2014. "The Catch-22 of Responsible Luxury: Effects of Luxury Product Characteristics on Consumers’ Perception of Fit with Corporate Social Responsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 119(1), pages 45-57, January.
    18. Eva Cerio, 2022. "How parents handle the disposal of their children's toys: an emotional and controlled process [Comment les parents gèrent la séparation des jouets de leurs enfants : un processus émotionnel et cont," Post-Print hal-03588879, HAL.
    19. Carlson, Kurt A. & Tanner, Robin J. & Meloy, Margaret G. & Russo, J. Edward, 2014. "Catching nonconscious goals in the act of decision making," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 123(1), pages 65-76.
    20. Michael Barone & Karen Winterich, 2016. "Does Green Make You Greedy or Does it Make You Go Green? The Influence of Green Color Primes on Consumers’ Promotion Preferences," Customer Needs and Solutions, Springer;Institute for Sustainable Innovation and Growth (iSIG), vol. 3(1), pages 3-10, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:mktlet:v:35:y:2024:i:2:d:10.1007_s11002-023-09689-0. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.