Table 1

Overview of Studies

StudyPurposeDesignResults
Study 1

  • Test H2 (more positive attitudes toward the advertisement featuring the older model)

  • Between-subjects experiment (n = 80 women, U.K. sample)

  • Real advertisements for a fashion brand, showing an older and a younger female decorative model

  • More positive attitudes toward the advertisement featuring the older model (H2 supported)

Study 2

  • Replicate results from Study 1 concerning H2 for both male and female consumers

  • Investigate consumer responses through thought protocol

  • Between-subjects experiment (n = 120, 47% women, 53% men, U.S. sample)

  • Real advertisements for a fashion brand, showing an older and a younger female decorative model

  • More positive attitudes toward the advertisements featuring the older model for female consumers (H2 supported for women)

  • No difference in advertisement attitudes among male consumers

  • Significantly more social thoughts occur in relation to the older model

Study 3

  • Replicate results from Study 1 and Study 2 concerning H2

  • Test H1 and H3 on social connectedness

  • Compare consumer responses across younger and older female consumers

  • Between-subjects experiment

  • Stratified sample (n = 157 women, 51% 50 years or older, 49% aged 18–25, U.K. sample) to enable comparisons between age groups

  • Fictive advertisements for a skin-care brand, showing an older and a younger female decorative model

  • Advertisements were pretested for similarity and model attractiveness

  • More positive attitudes toward the advertisements featuring the older model for both older and younger female consumers (H2 supported)

  • Higher social connectedness for the advertisement featuring an older model (H1 supported) but only for older female consumers

  • Social connectedness mediates the effect of the older female model on attitudes toward the advertisements for older female consumers (H3 supported for older women)

Study 4

  • Replicate results from Studies 1, 2, and 3 for another product category

  • Examine downstream positive effects on brand attitudes and purchase intentions

  • Between-subjects experiment (n = 201 women, U.K. sample)

  • Fictive advertisements for a skin-care brand and a brand of nutritional supplements (omega-3), showing an older and a younger female decorative model

  • More positive attitudes toward the advertisements, brand attitudes, and purchase intentions for the advertisements featuring the older model, regardless of product category (H2 supported)

  • Higher social connectedness for the advertisements featuring the older model (H1 supported)

  • Social connectedness mediated the effect on attitudes toward the advertisements (H3 supported)