Drawing from the affect-reason-involvement model, we examine how misleading advertising about the environmental features of products, or greenwashing, affects how consumers perceive ads and brands. Using data from two experimental studies with quota-based samples in the United States (N D 486) and Germany (N D 300), we compare nondeceptive claims with two types of claims often used in greenwashing: vague claims and false claims. We also identify the presence of pleasant natureevoking images and test for interaction effects with two types of environmental involvement: environmental concern and environmental knowledge. Results indicate that while vague claims do not enhance consumers' perceived greenwashing regardless of their environmental knowledge or concern, false claims do, which consequently harms consumers' attitudes toward those ads and brands. In the United States, consumers' environmental knowledge moderates that effect, whereas all consumers in Germany could identify false claims as attempts at greenwashing. Moreover, associating greenwashing claims with nature-evoking images activates an affective persuasive mechanism that appeals to consumers' affinity for nature, which not only positively influences their evaluations of ads and brands but also influences their attitudes toward ads and brands more strongly than perceived greenwashing. In closing, we discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.

Almost all research on the effects of product placements on children has focused on brand attitudes or behavioral intentions. Drawing on the important difference between attitudes or behavioral intentions on the one hand and actual behavior on the other, this paper tests the effects of brand placements on children's food consumption. Children from 6 to 14 years old were exposed to an excerpt of the popular movie Alvin and the Chipmunks, including placements for the product Cheese Balls. Three versions were created: one without placements, one with moderate placement frequency, and one with high placement frequency. Results showed that exposure to high‐frequency product placements exerted a significant effect on snack consumption, but no effect on brand or product attitudes. These effects were independent of children's ages. The findings are of great importance to consumer behavior scholars, nutrition experts, and policy regulators. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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On Facebook, companies not only actively spread branded content themselves, they also encourage users to do so. Hence, persuasive messages blend into the stream of content, making it increasingly difficult for users to identify and cope with this covert advertising content. In an experimental study, we confronted users to disclosed advertisements; brand; and user-generated posts allowing us to discern effects on persuasion knowledge, affective reaction and, in turn, purchase intention. Furthermore, we manipulated viewer's attention to the posts. In line with the Persuasion Knowledge Model, we found that user-generated content did not trigger persuasion knowledge and a subsequent negative affect. Thus, user-generated content led to higher purchase intention compared to disclosed advertisement and brand posts. Surprisingly, participants' heightened attention decreased their negative affective reaction towards the advertisement post compared to the brand post. We conclude that policy makers should consider employing advertising disclosures for user-generated content.

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