When and Why Negative Emotional Appeals Work in Advertising: A Review of Research

Abstract

This paper reviews theoretical and empirical evidence relating to the effectiveness of negative emotional advertising appeals in marketing. Through the review of research, it figures out when and why negative emotional appeals work in advertising. According to the research, the common negative emotions in advertisements are fear, guilt, sadness and anger. And the Elaboration Likelihood Model, Self-brand Connection Theory, Cognitive Dissonance Theory and so on are regarded as main explaining mechanisms of the effect. Further, the influence factors of the negative emotional appeals’ effect are summarized, too. Finally, this paper presents the possible ideas in future research.