'I Approve This Message' Has an Unwelcome Subtext
New research finds the famous tagline on political ads makes issue-oriented attacks seem more legitimate.
Advertising
Graphic Anti-Smoking Ads May Backfire
New research finds that, for particularly vulnerable teens, they may be counterproductive.
How We Give Online Advertisers the Tools to Manipulate Us
New research shows the effectiveness of aligning ads with a potential customer’s easily identified personality traits.
Political Campaigns Persuade Few—If Any—Voters
New research suggests they can mobilize partisans, but very seldom change minds.
A Brief History of Companies Courting African-American Dollars
Dove's withdrawn advertisement is the latest example of American companies bungling ads for black consumers.
Public-Health Experts Are Skeptical of the CDC's New Anti-Opioid Campaign
Getting people to eschew risky painkiller prescriptions isn't as easy as persuading them to buy body wash, researchers warn.
The Kardashians Still Aren't Disclosing Paid Ads on Instagram
An ad-watchdog group has compiled a database of over 200 Kardashian social media posts that neglect to say they are advertisements.
Advertising Watchdogs Have Alerted Regulators to Goop's Unproven Health Claims
Consumers have been Goop'd.
U.K. Advertising Watchdog Proposes Ban of Gender-Stereotypical Ads
Ads that suggest that an activity is inappropriate for girls or boys because they are more suitable for the opposite sex, or shows a woman cleaning alone, would be axed under the new proposed regulations.
When Corporate Boycotts Work
Unless you're offering a carrot with the stick, your socially conscious boycott could well backfire.
What Makes a Good Internet Advertisement?
A targeted experience that doesn't feel like a product pitch.
Selfies Reveal Gender Stereotypes
When it comes to images that portray young women in clichéd poses, advertisements have nothing on selfies.
Five Studies: The Political Power of Going Negative
The most negative advertisements can also be the most informative—and Twitter is empowering female candidates to be more aggressive.
The Political Power of a Negative Campaign
An early look at a Pacific Standard story that's currently only available to subscribers.
How to Cut Teens' Desire for Cigarettes: Hide Them
Experiments in a convenience store laboratory suggest the influence of the "tobacco power wall."
Is Barbie a Feminist Now?
Taking a closer look at Mattel's celebrated new advertising campaign.
What Is This World in Which Commercials Make You Cry?
And what does it have to do with the largest refugee crisis since World War II?
Fit Athletes, Fat Fans
When it comes to the obesity epidemic, athletes are part of the problem.
The Future of Work: Stop the Stealing and Pay Us for Our Online Data
The latest entry in a special project in which business and labor leaders, social scientists, technology visionaries, activists, and journalists weigh in on the most consequential changes in the workplace.
Evidence Suggests Warning Labels for Soft Drinks Are Ineffective
Sorry, San Francisco: A team of researchers report that, for adolescents, health warning labels are effectively negated by an ad’s imagery.
Blow Your Diet? Blame Captain Cupcake
New research finds anthropomorphizing products is an effective way to negate consumers’ self-control.
Don Draper and the Pursuit of Loneliness
Mad Men was always a sociological commentary on American culture.
That Time a Newspaper Stared Down the Country’s Largest Advertiser and Won
A little-remembered incident helped establish the notion that news organizations could and should preserve their independence from advertisers.