Abstract
The primary aim of this study was to investigate the use of humor as a masking device for deceptive advertising claims. Content analysis on a total of 238 ads assessed whether humor was used to mask any deceptive claims. Deceptive claims were found in 73.5% of humorous ads, and 74.5% of these were masked by humor. The relationship between various forms of deceptive claims and humor types used was also assessed to determine whether specific humor types masked particular types of deceptive claims. It appears that all types of humor are used to mask the various types of deceptive claims investigated. Furthermore, specific types of humor are used to mask particular types of deceptive claims.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 75-85 |
| Number of pages | 11 |
| Journal | Journal of Advertising |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jun 2007 |
| Externally published | Yes |