Thin is not in - far from it, in fact, with a recent study proving it to be off-putting to consumers. A research study undertaken by Baylor University reveals up to 70 per cent of audiences can feel alienated by advertisements featuring thin models.
Professor James Roberts and daughter Chloe compiled the results in a report titled, “Does Thin Always Sell? The Moderating Role of Thin Ideal Internalization on Advertising Effectiveness”.
Explaining that only five per cent of audiences can achieve the body size typically depicted in advertising, Roberts encourages advertisers to not rely on super slim models for success. He says: “Advertisers need to do a bit more research with their target market. They need to find out what these women are thinking, as related to body size.”
The study also queried women’s thoughts on a ‘thin ideal’. Of 239 women surveyed, 30 per cent supported the ideal, 25 per cent disagreed with the concept, and 45 per cent admitted they did not fully ascribe to it.
“We need to look at the target market, and we also have to look at the product category. For some product categories, thin is probably going to do better. For others, it very well may be that an average-size model may sell better than a thin model. It just may be a good business decision,” says Roberts.
