Using Humor or Fear Appeal: The Moderating Role of the Source's Attractiveness and the Source's Communication Habits in an Electoral Campaign

Abstract

This research compares the impact of two advertising tactics, humor versus fear appeals, according to the moderating effects of two characteristics of the source: Attractiveness and communication habits. A set of hypotheses is proposed and tested using a between-subject experiment in the context of the 2007 French presidential election. Results show a moderating effect of source attractiveness on attitude toward the ad. Humor should be favored over fear when the message targets undecided voters or supporters, whereas fear should be favored when the message targets opponents. Perceived communication habits - perceived previous use of the advertising tactic by the candidate – also moderate message effectiveness such as humor is more effective when it is seldom used by the candidate, whereas fear is more effective when it is used on a regular basis.