Exploring consumer reactions to incongruent mild disgust appeals

The attitude towards the advertisement (Aad) and the brand (Ab) and brand recall for disgust and non‐disgust advertising appeals for a tour operator were studied in a sample of 244 Belgians. Disgusting advertisements led to a significantly more negative Aad than non‐disgusting advertisements and did not lead to better brand recall. The negative reactions to disgust advertisements were especially outspoken for individuals with high affect intensity, high sensitivity to disgust and high product category involvement, whereas the difference with non‐disgust appeals was not significant for individuals low in affect intensity, sensitivity to disgust or product category involvement. Attitudes and recall were similar across demographic segments, and for a new and an existing brand. Results showed that Aad fully mediated the impact of disgust on Ab.