SYMBOLIC ROLE OF ANIMALS IN PRINT ADVERTISING - CONTENT-ANALYSIS AND CONCEPTUAL DEVELOPMENT

A model is proposed for understanding the impact of the use of animals in advertising. The model proposes that the culturally constituted wo rld is composed of a variety of entities that can be given symbolic me aning. These symbols and their meanings are linked to products and the n communicated by the media to the consumer. A content analysis of app roximately 500 print advertisements examined: (1) the type of animal t hat appeared in the ads, (2) the product class, and (3) the stare of t he animal (anthropomorphic or nonanthropomorphic). Results indicate th at advertisers selectively associate particular animals with particula r product categories and that whether an animal is shown in an anthrop omorphic state varies by product category.