Yes / Firms widely use smiling models to create a positive background setting for advertisements. This study assesses the various effects of smiling in print advertisements across different stages of consumer decision-making, while also considering interaction effects between the genders of models and viewers. Empirical evidence comes from 175,647 consumer evaluations of 421 real advertisements across a broad spectrum of product categories (22). Beyond gender, a smiling model not only effects a positive attitude change but also influences a product's integration into a relevant set and a consumer's purchase intention. For female consumers, a smiling model of the same gender exerts a greater influence on positive brand attitude change and on purchase intention. Advertisers should avoid using non-smiling male models when targeting female consumers. In contrast, smiling models of both genders can positively influence male consumer reaction, while use of a female model should be avoided during the early stages.

Yes / For decades, animals have been widely used in advertisements, and yet little is known about the effects on consumer reactions along the entire purchase decision process. This study disentangles the effects of using animal stimuli in isolation or jointly with a human model in print advertisements. Empirical evidence is derived from 126,220 consumer evaluations of 302 actual print advertisements across 18 product categories. Animals do not only support a positive attitude change, they also influence how products integrate into consumers´ relevant set and the purchase intention by itself. By comparison, female consumers react more pronounced than their male counterparts on animal stimuli. However, it should be avoided to combine an animal stimulus with a human model to preserve a better influence over consumer reaction.