In case you don't know what the term "self" means, it is a concept that sociologists have been examining since the early 1900's. George Herbert Mead came up with the theory of "self", where he focused on our significant others (our immediate family/friends) and generalized others (teachers, t.v., co-workers etc.) and how they formed our opinions and choices for us since birth.
So when we are looking at this from a media standpoint, we absorb what we are surrounded with, whether we agree with it or not. Social Psychological models such as the Elaboration Likelihood Model (Petty, 1986) suggest that persuasion is dependant on how in-depth the message makes you think. A well constructed, strong message will make the audience more willing to consider the content and be more motivated to advocate the message in the future. Whereas a weak argument will most likely be ignored, whether the message itself is important or not. This can also go in another direction, if the message is relatable but threatens our sense of self, we can turn defensive toward the information being presented and allow us to only accept selective pieces of the message. (Morton, 2006)
Attached are links to a few ads that are currently running.
One targeting young women and mothers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi_JwXTXLA0
And one targeting young adults and/or pet owners:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56b09ZyLaWk
Can you relate to either of these messages? If so, does it make you second guess your choices or do you feel like they are a negative portrayal of the message?
Let me know what you think.
Lauren
Morton, T. A. (2006, March). Enlisting the
Influence of Others: Alternative Strategies for Persuasive Media Campaigns.
Retrieved from Journal of Applied Social Psychology:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com.library.sheridanc.on.ca/doi/10.1111/j.0021-9029.2006.00008.x/full
Petty, C. (1986).
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