I can't cook. Who cares?

This is an advertisement from Wonderbra released in August 1999. The technique used in this advertisement is a physically attractive admirer alter-cast.  By using Adriana Karembeu, a physically attractive fashion model, the advertisement created effective persuasion on female consumers.  Her body posture sends a non-verbal message which convinces consumers if they buy the products, they can be attractive like her. In an empirical study, female students were shown the product advertisement with an attractive model, an ordinary model or no model. After watching the advertisement, the students were asked to answer a seven-point scale questionnaire about willingness of buying the product. The result showed that students who watched the advertisement featuring an attractive model were more willing to buy the product.  (Harrison, Bjljana & Cornwell, 2001).

 Also, the advertisement used a metaphor technique. The verbal phrase: ‘I can’t cook. Who cares?’ was combined with the visual image of a physically attractive woman converted to a non-verbal message which suggests a voluptuous body is more important than stereotypical female attributes. In an empirical study, participants were shown the same product advertisements presenting the same message in three ways: straight forward message, verbal metaphor and visual metaphor (combination of the visual image and the verbal message). After participants saw the advertisements, they were asked to answer questionnaires. The result claimed even participants realized the three advertisements expressed the same basic message, they were more favorable for the product when it advertised with visual metaphor. (McQuarrie & Philips, 2005).

Reference:

Harrison, G., Biljana, J., & Cornwell, B. T. (2001). The Relationship of Advertising Model Attractiveness and Body Satisfaction to Intention to Purchase an Exercise Product. Asia Pacific Advances in Consumer Research, 4 (1), 217-222.

McQuarrie, E. F., & Phillips, B. J. (2005). Indirect persuasion in advertising: How consumers process metaphors presented in pictures and words. Journal of Advertising, 34(2), 7-20.