Appropriating Reality: Consumers' Perceptions of Schema-Inconsistent Advertising

Abstract

Appropriating realism has resulted in a plethora of advertising styles mimicking news, documentary, and editorial formats - breaking a long tradition of distorting reality for the consumer rather than replicating it. Using schema theory to explain consumers' expectations of what they expect to see in advertisements, this study surveyed consumers about their perceptions of reality-style advertising and its associations. The study suggested that these “hybrid” styles triggered values and meaning generally associated with more realistic forms of communication, perhaps making realism an involving and positive marketing strategy.