Posted on 11/19/2008 5:53:45 PM PST by MyTwoCopperCoins
LONDON: The golden rule of advertising - thin models lure more people towards the product - is actually a misconception, claims a new research. The study revealed that skinny models are a turn off to consumers in TV commercials and other advertising.
According to scientists, images of super-thin models carry no edge in encouraging young women to buy and for the majority of adult women ads showing skinny girls actually discouraged sales whereas plus size models encouraged them to buy, the study found.
To reach the conclusion, the study psychologist Phillippa Diedrichs, of the University of Queensland, Australia, created a series of ads for underwear, shampoo and a party dress.
Each ad was made twice, once using a skinny size eight model and another featuring a size 12 woman. When the ads were shown to 400 young women, they produced no difference in the likelihood for them to buy.
However, when women aged between 18 and 25 saw the adverts they felt better - and more likely to buy - after viewing the images of the larger models.
"For anything to change, research has to be convincing, not just to government and health researchers, but also to people in advertising who actually make the decisions," the Telegraph quoted Diedrichs, as saying.
"Often people make the argument that thinness sells, and thats why they use slim models.
"But we can change the images we see and still sell products but also make people feel better about themselves," the expert added.
There have been concerted campaigns against the ultra-thin "size zero" with fashion weeks in Madrid and Milan banning models from the catwalk who were of a weight deemed unhealthy by the Body Mass Index measure.
She’s about 30-40 pounds shy of what one might consider “hot”. Or at least nice looking.
‘Bout time someone figured out what the rest of us already knew.
now that’s not any 14 y.o. boy!!! Yum.....
Too bad she has a bubble head and voted for Obummer.
We have not watched tv in over 20 years broadcast or cable. I wont let that trash in our house.
That makes me wonder, what were the years of the supermodels’ heyday? Cindy Crawford, and the “trinity” of Evangelista, Turlington, and Campell, oh, and Claudia Schiffer. Those women were Amazonian, and they were the only true “supermodels”, I wondered if there some correlation between which party was in power, and their reign. I don’t remember what “their” years were though.
The reason thin doesn't sell is most Americans, male and female are grossly overweight and have been for a couple of decades.
Trim and in shape isn't in....
I’m not a guy, but as woman, I wouldn’t want that rear. I call it a “shelf” rear, and it looks destroys the line of clothes, IMO. I liked the shape of Fifties’ models, shapely but streamlined.
Too bad more women are like Oklahoma girls, beautiful and have their heads on right politically.
Oh yeah right. Like fat women are just "big-boned," right. Olive Oyl has more meat than that broad in the picture.
So who’s got the ideal body, in your extreme opinion?
I think these photos exaggerate it a little bit. But point taken.
Nice! Well, actually revolting. But funny.
That's easy....Salma Hayek.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.