Puppies In Advertising Most Likely To Have Emotional Impact On U.S. Consumers

A recent online survey of U.S. adults conducted by Harris Interactive revealed that an image of a puppy, when used in advertising, is most likely to have an emotional impact on 41% of respondents. The research, which also included as choices images of a baby (34%), an old lady (3%), and an old man (2%), found out that gender plays a role in respondents’ reactions to images used in advertising: 45% of women said they are affected by images of a puppy, compared with 37% of men; 39% of women are affected by images of a baby, but only 29% of men. Age also plays a role: between 40% and 42% of each age group said they are likely to be affected by images of a puppy; 39% of 35-44 years old respondents and 38% of the 45-54 years group said they are likely to be affected by images of a baby; however, only 30% of 18-34 years old said so. The study, however, does not say whether an emotional appeal can in fact drive consumers to buy.