That zaftig redhead hawking body lotion on the 20-foot billboard? The three-by-four-foot poster of a woman unapologetically embracing her thunder thighs? Yep, they're talking to you. And if you're a woman, you're listening.
Women will compare themselves to pictures of superthin models more than to pics of regular women only when accompanying text reinforces the "need" to be slender and attractive. Otherwise, research published in Body Image finds, they're much more likely to relate to everyday models. And, ad mavens hope, buy what's on offer.
Lars Perner, a professor of marketing at USC not affiliated with the study, relates the phenomenon to the use of celebs in ads. "Although there may be a drive to try to be like celebrities, models who are more like consumers are often seen as more relevant role models. People are more likely to imitate those who are more like themselves."
