The impact of ad appeals and source types on ad trust

Lin, Chao-Yang

Permalink

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129241 Copy

Description

Title

The impact of ad appeals and source types on ad trust

Author(s)

Lin, Chao-Yang

Issue Date

2025-05-09

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Maslowska, Ewa Halina

Department of Study

Advertising

Discipline

Advertising

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

M.S.

Degree Level

Thesis

Keyword(s)

• celebrity
• layperson
• endorsers
• advertising appeal
• narrative
• argumentative
• ad trust

Abstract

This study aimed to understand how advertising appeals and message source types impact consumers' trust in advertisements. The two most common types of advertising appeals were investigated: narrative and argumentative. Narratives included a story in the advertisement. Argumentatives were more straightforward and conveyed the information rationally. For message source types, celebrity endorsers - a popular tactic in the current market - and laypersons who are increasingly used as endorsers were included. This study aimed to provide a better understanding of the best combination of advertising appeals and source types in cosmetic advertisements to win consumers' trust. A total of 73 responses were received from the snowball sample and the SONA system. The results were not statistically significant, but they suggested that celebrities endorsing argumentative ads may lead to a higher level of trust. Also, consumers held higher trust in celebrity endorsers compared to layperson endorsers. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Graduation Semester

2025-05

Type of Resource

Thesis

Handle URL

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129241

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2025 Chao-Yang Lin

Owning Collections