Death primes in advertisements: how international advertisers can ensure their message is effective

Advertising during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Trends and Theoretical Developments

“…Therefore, when people are threatened with their own mortality, they tend to adopt meaningful worldviews that allow them to feel enduring self-worth to alleviate their anxiety. Research by Minton et al (2022) applied terror management theory as a conceptual framework to show that mortality salience is ever-present in every consumer's life and became extremely important during the pandemic. Furthermore, this study identified how consumers' religious beliefs and geographic proximity influence their responses to death primes in advertisements.…”

“…Researchers also explored the role that images of death played in enhancing consumers to make pro-social decisions during the pandemic. For instance, utilizing the terror management theory, Minton et al (2022) found that online advertisers made pandemic messaging more effective by incorporating the death prime factor. This fear of death factor influenced the public to take fundamental safety precautions and successfully implement mitigation strategies during the pandemic.…”