London - The golden rule of advertising has long been that sex sells.
But when it comes to chocolate, it seems the seductive approach may backfire.
Companies that use slim, deliberately sexy models to market their chocolate will actually put female buyers off, a study claims.
But if the advert features a larger model, women are less likely to feel guilty about indulging.
The researchers, from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, said that adverts starring an impossibly slender model simply remind women that eating too much chocolate means they will never look like that.
They questioned 84 women aged 17 to 63 about their chocolate cravings and whether they felt guilty after eating it.
The participants were then split into three groups. One looked at images of slim models promoting chocolate, and the second saw adverts using larger models. The third group did not look at any images.
Researchers then repeated the questionnaires and found the group who had seen adverts featuring slender models felt guiltier, and were more likely to avoid chocolate than before.
But those who had seen adverts featuring larger models felt less guilty about wanting to indulge.
Writing in the journal Appetite, the researchers said: “Chocolate advertisements often include models exemplifying an idealised female form. Presumably, advertisers seek to convey the implicit message that eating this sweet is somehow conducive to enhanced physical attractiveness.”
They added: “Our findings indicate the use of thin models can increase craving but also increases avoidance and guilt.” - Daily Mail