Title: Sexist humour in advertising: just a joke or marketing strategy?

Authors: Nicoleta Groza, Jordi Fernandez Cuesta

Addresses: Departamento de Comunicacion Audiovisual y Publicidad II, Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain. ' Departamento de Comunicacion Audiovisual y Publicidad II, Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Barcelona 08193, Spain

Abstract: The primary objective of this research is to analyse the sexist humour in advertising, especially its perception of being amusing and offensive, to check the relationship between positive feelings and the perception of offensiveness and to investigate the influence of the positive feelings on its credibility. Data from 38 students enrolled at the Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona reveals that sexist humour in advertising is perceived as funny, harmless and credible. The results also showed that more positive feelings generate the sexist humour in advertising, less offensive it is perceived.

Keywords: TV advertising; sexist humour; entertainment; credibility; emotions; feelings; television advertising; amusing advertising; offensive advertising; positive feelings; offensiveness perception; funny; harmless; credible; offence.

DOI: 10.1504/IJART.2011.037770

International Journal of Arts and Technology, 2011 Vol.4 No.1, pp.61 - 73

Published online: 11 Jan 2015 *

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