The use of human models and cartoon characters in magazine advertisements for cigarettes, beer, and nonalcoholic beverages

The authors examine the content of magazine advertising for cigarettes, bee r, and nonalcoholic beverages from July 1996 to July 1997. A total of 476 a dvertisements (239 unique advertisements)from 12 different magazines were c ontent-analyzed. In light of the ongoing debate and recent proposals over t he regulation of tobacco and alcohol advertising aimed at young people, the purpose was to answer two principal questions: (I) whether the advertiseme nts for cigarettes and beer contain more cartoons and animated characters t han do advertisements for nonalcoholic beverages and (2) whether the presen ce of human models in an advertisement's visuals is an adequate way to oper ationalize a lifestyle advertisement. The authors also replicate and extend previous research regarding the amount and type of extrinsic appeal or lif estyle advertising found in these product categories. Significantly more li festyle content appeared in cigarette advertisements than in nonalcoholic b everage advertisements. Furthermore. a disproportionate number of cartoon c haracters in cigarette advertisements appeared in magazines with a higher s hare of younger readers, consistent with policy concerns regarding the use of such cartoon characters to appeal to youth markets. Also, 8.8% of advert isements that were classified as lifestyle advertisements did not contain r ecognizable human models. An implication of this finding is that the origin al tobacco settlement proposal to eliminate lifestyle content of cigarette and beer advertisements simply by eliminating models was inadequate to achi eve its intended purpose.