The study aims to examine attitudes toward fashion advertisements that features celebrity models according to the lifestyles and garment evaluation standard of female college students and female office workers, and to determine the differences in adve...
The study aims to examine attitudes toward fashion advertisements that features celebrity models according to the lifestyles and garment evaluation standard of female college students and female office workers, and to determine the differences in advertisements attitude according to the garment types of advertised products and the demographic variables, while specifying the characteristics that effect the attitudes of fashion advertisement.
Questionnaires were used to conduct the study. Study subjects included 398 female college students and female office workers who live in Seoul and the surrounding areas. By age group, study subjects included 68 females aged 18 to 19, 267 females aged 20 to 24, and 63 females aged 25 to 34. For the selection of advertising stimulants, two casual clothing advertisements and two advertisements for suits which clearly showed faces and clothes, were chosen for the study. Two copies were made of all four selected advertisements, and the Photoshop Program was used to blur the faces of the celebrity in one of the copies of each advertisement, resulting in four advertisements that showed the model’s faces as they were, and four advertisements that blurred the faces. The advertisements were then divided into advertisements A1 through A4 (showing the faces) and advertisements B1 through B4 (with blurred faces). As for the combination of stimulants, suits and casuals were combined based on changes in the models’ faces. As a result, there were total of 4 types of stimulant combinations and one study subject responded to 1 combination consisting of two sets of advertisements.
The data were analyzed by using descriptive analysis, Cronbach's α reliability test, Pearson's correlation coefficient, t-test, one-way ANOVA, two-way ANOVA, Duncan's multiple range test, and multiple regression analysis. Measurement tools included fashion advertisements attitudes, lifestyle, garment evaluation standard and demographic variables. The fashion advertisements attitude includes interest in advertisements, evaluative response to advertisements, attitudes toward products, intention of purchase and evaluation on price of products.
For the fashion advertisement attitude questions related to each variable, there were 3 questions on interest in advertisements, 3 questions on evaluative response, 5 questions on attitudes toward products, and 3 questions on intention of purchase, and these were measured by using a 5-point Likert Scale. Cronbach's α reliability coefficient of each variable was .80 or higher. For evaluation on price of products, the level of prices of products was selected according to the type of clothes worn by celebrity models. A total of 17 questions were used related to lifestyle, and as a result of analysis of variables, four variables were selected, including traditional view of women, tendency toward impulse purchases, pursuit of well-known brands and pursuit of fashion. Cronbach's α reliability coefficient of lifestyle was .66 or higher. Garment evaluation standards included 8 questions, and as a result of factor analysis, practical standard, aesthetic standard and price factor were included. Cronbach's α reliability coefficient was determined to be .69 or higher. As for demographic variables, age, affiliation and average monthly disposable income were used, and the average number of garment purchases per year and the average amount spend on garments per year were surveyed.
First, in terms of the correlation between lifestyle and fashion advertisement attitudes, for advertisement that featured a model’s faces, consumers who took a traditional view of women were more likely to purchase the advertised products, and had a positive view of the product. In addition, consumers who tend to make impulsive purchases had a positive view with regard to their evaluative response to the advertisement. For advertisement that did not show celebrity’s faces, consumers who prefers well-known brands were more willing to make the purchase and evaluate the product price highly. On the whole, pursuit of fashion showed negative correlations with all variables of advertisement attitudes, which means the more fashion-oriented consumers gave a negative evaluation and displayed a lower intention of purchasing the advertised products.
Second, in terms of fashion advertisement attitudes according to garment evaluation standard, the higher the practical standards is, the higher intention of purchase showed when considering advertisement that features celebrity models. With regard to aesthetic standard, they were found to have negative relationship with interests in advertisements and purchase intentions, which means consumers with higher aesthetic standard had low interest in the advertised products and low intention of purchase. As for price factor, for advertisement that showed the celebrity model’s faces, price factor had positive relationships with interest in advertisements, evaluative response, intentions of purchase and attitude toward products. Consumers who values price first when purchasing clothes had positive views on advertising that showed model’s faces, and were willing to make purchases. However, for advertisement that did not unveil the model’s faces, the prices factor had negative correlations with interest in advertisements and attitude toward the products. The consumers who values prices first at the time of purchasing tended to be less interested in advertisement when celebrity models were not featured, and had negative attitude toward the products.
Third, in the survey of fashion advertisement attitudes with regard to celebrity model's faces, the attitudes were more positive when the celebrity’s faces appeared in the advertisement. Between suits and casuals, consumers favored casual wear.
Fourth, in terms of fashion advertisement attitudes by age, women in their late 20s and 30s tended to have more interest in fashion advertisement than teenagers and women in their early 20s. With regard to disposable incomes, there were significant differences in terms of interest in advertisements, evaluative response and price of products according to the level of income. Those with smaller incomes tended to be more positive in terms of interest in advertisements and evaluative response than those with higher incomes. However, in terms of product prices, they were evaluated the lowest by those with smaller allowances. There were significant differences in interest in advertisements, evaluative response and attitude toward products according to the number of clothes purchased. Consumers who purchase higher number of clothes were less interested in advertisement, evaluation of advertisement and attitude toward products. According to the amount spend on garment purchase, there were significant differences in terms of interest in advertisements, intention to purchase, attitude toward products and price evaluation. The higher the amount spend on garment purchases, the lower the interest in advertisements as well as the intention to purchase and attitude toward products. As for evaluation of product prices, those who recorded higher amount spend on garment purchases evaluated product prices more highly than those who recorded smaller amount spend on garment purchases.
Fifth, in the survey on the effects of lifestyle, garment evaluation standard, the number of clothes purchased, the amount spend on garment purchases and demographic variables on fashion advertisement attitudes, it was found that celebrity models and traditional view of women effects significantly on interest in advertisements. The explanatory power of the two variables was 12.0%. With regard to evaluative response, celebrity models, tendency of impulsive purchase, the number of garment purchase, and price factor had significant effects in that order. The explanatory power of the four variables was 10.7%. In terms of purchase intentions, celebrity models, traditional view of women, propensity for impulse purchases, the amount spend on garment purchases, pursuit of fashion and practical standard had significant effects and the explanatory power of the six variables was 11.2%. As for attitude toward products, celebrity models, the amount spend on garment purchase, propensity for impulse purchases and practical standard had significant effects, in that order, and the explanatory power of the four variables was 9.7%. As for evaluation of product prices, the use of celebrity models, age, propensity for impulse purchases, disposable income and pursuit of fashion had significant effects, and the explanatory power of the five variables was 7.6%.
In conclusion, consumers who has smaller incomes, who values practicality and price when purchasing clothes, who tends to make impulse purchases and who cherishes the traditional role of women tended to evaluate celebrity model-based advertisement favorably. In addition, celebrity model-based advertisement appeals more to women in their late 20s and 30s than to teenage girls and women in their 20s. Also, consumers who are sensitive to the latest fashion trend, prefers famous brand products and has more interests in fashion, and who values designs, colors and matching up with the self-image, are less effected by celebrity model-based advertisements.