*Article* **Exploring the A**ff**ective Level in Adolescents in Relation to Advertising with a Selected Emotional Appeal**

#### **David Vrtana 1,\*, Anna Krizanova 1, Eva Skorvagova <sup>2</sup> and Katarina Valaskova <sup>1</sup>**


Received: 19 August 2020; Accepted: 6 October 2020; Published: 8 October 2020

**Abstract:** The correlation and perception of advertising on adolescents have been shown to be a key factor in the survival of subjective emotional states. In this research, we map the affective level in relation to emotions in the context of assessing the marketing advertisement "Man on the Moon" by John Lewis company. We assess how an emotional appeal affects adolescents in various areas of the Slovak Republic, following several crucial demographic features of respondents. We examined the affective level by means of a psychodiagnostic tool in the form of a standardized tool of the scale of subjective emotional habitual well-being. To measure the emotional component of subjective well-being, we used descriptive words that expressed experienced emotions and feelings. From the collected data, we determined the frequency of positive and negative mood and verified the dependence between the variable region and emotion. We used Pearson's chi-square test. When evaluating the data, we found dependencies between the categorical variable region and emotion. We did not find a relationship between the variable gender and emotion. The geographical division within the national market has an impact on the experience of positive and negative emotions when looking at advertising with an emotional appeal to the story.

**Keywords:** advertising; emotions; emotional states; regions; emotional appeal; adolescents

#### **1. Introduction**

In the analysis of the Slovak advertising space and shopping behavior of adolescents, it is necessary to perceive several factors. These can positively or negatively influence consumer decisions [1]. In addition to the emotional impact, it is important to assess regional diversity. In the assessment process, *f*, it is important to focus on regional culture, social behavior, income, social status, and other factors that can significantly influence purchasing decisions. The most important factor is a socioeconomic status. In the case of comparing regional differences, we analyzed the income area of the population and their social preferences. According to the research from 2019, the difference in the average gross wage between the Bratislava and Presov regions represents up to 90%. An example is the comparison of gross wages in the town of Snina, where the average basic wage is 789 €. In the Bratislava Region, the average gross wage reaches 1,500 € before tax. This implies a basic regional difference. This can also be reflected in consumers' shopping behavior. The general result of their research is the fact that there are significant differences in the income of the population in Slovakia. In 2016, when the "Man on the Moon" advertising campaign was launched, the difference in population income between Western and Eastern Slovakia was 6%. Research carried out by Ineko confirms that, since 2015, there have been

significant differences in the poverty rate. The west of Slovakia is less endangered by poverty than the center and the east. Most of the population below the poverty line is in Presovsky and Kosicky regions. The situation may be influenced by several factors, such as a lower level of education or a lack of foreign investors. It is important to note that regional income disparities can negatively affect consumer shopping behavior [2,3].

The second important area that needs to be perceived in the context of regional disparities is social divergency. An important social difference is the perception of consumption inequality and status inequality. Inequality in consumer behavior is related to the income disparities which were described in the previous paragraph. High-income households have an unlimited ability to meet needs. Households whose incomes are significantly lower (e.g., eastern part of Slovakia) have a limited opportunity to satisfy their needs. This can lead to limited shopping behavior. Another inequality is status. This can depend on various factors such as income, living conditions, or level of education. Differences in the perception of these factors can cause status inequality. According to the research [4], there is also a certain degree of such inequality in Slovakia. Diversity occurs in different regions, depending on their maturity. The inhabitants of the western part of Slovakia are less attentive to the surroundings, more stubborn, and less friendly [4]. Another study proves that people working in Western Slovakia are characterized by a higher level of workaholism and a lower level of awareness of their own emotional experience. Residents from Eastern Slovakia are more friendly and have a higher level of awareness of their own emotional experience. Differences in the perception of awareness of one's own emotional experience may differ in the different ability to identify emotions, name the emotional influence, and distinguish between what they experience and what is reality [5]. This can also be reflected in the perception of advertising with an emotional appeal. Adolescents from the western part of Slovakia may perceive this advertisement more emotionally than adolescents from the eastern part of Slovakia. Ultimately, their emotional awareness after looking at an advertisement with an emotional appeal can also affect the level of their purchasing decision. For this reason, our research focuses on regional differences in the perception of advertising with an emotional appeal.

Businesses are currently trying to influence the emotional side of consumers. Balan et al. [6] define emotions as a state that consists of conscious mental responses to objects or situations and are associated with various physiological, behavioral, and cognitive changes. In connection with behavioral changes, it can be argued that emotions can also influence shopping behavior. Kranzbler et al. [7], in their research, argue that emotions are evaluation patterns that influence consumer behavior. The authors emphasized that emotions are crucial in influencing shopping behavior. A general assumption of Rathore and Ilavarasan's [8] research is that the current trend of evoking negative emotions in consumers can affect overall market performance. In this case, they can also negatively affect the application of marketing strategy, which is reflected in lower business performance. Therefore, companies should approach the creation of advertising campaigns respecting current trends.

The aim of our research is to point out the importance and influence of advertising with an emotional appeal to adolescents. Adolescence is the period of human development between the end of childhood and reaching adulthood. Periods from 13 (girls) and 15 (boys) to 25 years of age. We examine the frequency of positive and negative moods in adolescents and what is the relationship between the region and the perception of emotional appeal. We see the originality of the article in the fact that the same research in question in the conditions of the Slovak Republic has not yet been carried out. This is the first pioneering research to examine the frequency of positive and negative moods in adolescents in relation to advertising with a selected emotional appeal.

The second section describes and develops international research issues focusing on the field of emotional marketing in relation to adolescents. The third section describes the subject of our research and the methods used in processing and evaluating the results. In the fourth section of the article, the research results are elaborated in details. The discussion part of the article contains the interpretation of the results in relation to the realized international studies in the subject area. The discussion section contains generalizations of individual findings. Furthermore, future research

directions are emphasized in the discussion part. The article concludes with a description of the most important findings and limitations of our research.

#### **2. Literature Review**

Any effective advertising should appropriately generate affective responses that can support the customer–brand relationship. Stout and Leckenby's [9] research confirms the well-known fact that advertising using different emotions is more popular and influences consumer decision-making processes. The main goal of emotional advertising is to create and perceive the intensity of connections between the product, brand, and customer [10]. However, the most intensive connection occurs in the case of television advertising, regardless of age category. However, social networks also have an intense influence, which are now key in influencing adolescent behavior [11]. There are numbers of emotional expressions that businesses seek to promote in their advertisements. One of them may be the emotional appeal of the story, which may be completed by nostalgia. A typical period when it is possible to use the nostalgia associated with the story as an emotional appeal is Christmastime [12]. Quantitative studies determining the importance of emotional attitudes when watching advertising developed as early as the 1980s [13]. Research conducted in this area was conducted with adolescents, who seemed more emotional. The randomness of selected advertisements has led to potential interest from adolescents [11]. The problem in this area, however, was that the research focused on specific advertisements, not on adolescents' reactions. This showed a problem in evaluating adolescents' attitudes and perceptions. Since the 1980s, the focus on the subject area of research into emotions in advertising and the assessment of positive and negative attitudes toward the evaluation of advertising with an emotional appeal has declined considerably [11]. As there are currently decreases in the subject area of research into the impact of emotions in advertising on adolescents, we decided to examine this issue in the Slovak Republic. The credibility of the research is also proved by the lack of information, as similar research has not been carried out in the Slovak media market. According to the research, adolescents are more impulsive and conscious when watching advertisements than adults [14]. Therefore, we decided to focus on them in our research.

The impact of emotional activity through advertising on adolescents is crucial in influencing shopping behavior. The research by Barve et al. [15] shows that adolescents are intensely aware of the influences and effects of emotional appeals, which can also influence their behavior. The authors' research problem was to analyze the negative and positive effects of television advertising on adolescents. Using questionnaire methods and structured interviews, the authors found more emotional reactions in girls and higher rationality in boys. The result was the finding that adolescents watched advertisements to create gender stereotypes and fostered aggressive behavior and social apathy [15].

Similar to Barve et al. [15], Sinigh and Pandey [16] also analyzed the impact of advertising on adolescents. The results of their research were identified with the statements of Barve et al. [15]. They found that TV advertisements with an emotional appeal have the greatest impact on the female segment. Research has also shown that adolescents are exposed to 400,000 advertisements a year, with various emotional influences [16]. Evidence of the influence of emotions in advertising space is also verified by the studies of Nadanyiova [17] and Kliestikova [18]. They argue that the use of emotions in advertising can lead to higher customer–business interaction. The research findings have generalized this statement, and, therefore, their view is acceptable in companies with different production sectors.

Adolescents are also intensely affected by social networks. They seek to promote products and services through influencers to support shopping behavior and strengthen engagement. Emotions are a key factor in strengthening adolescents' engagement or behavior change. Therefore, according to the authors, it is necessary to evaluate the impact of emotions on young people [19]. Berne-Manero and Marzo-Navarro [19] show that not only television commercials but also social media commercials can change adolescents' behavior. Naskar et al. [20] also agree with this opinion. The research of Zollo et al. [21] and Gratiela [22] demonstrates that cognitive, personal integration, and social integration benefits mediate the relationship between the marketing impact of social media advertising and consumer brand awareness. Zollo et al. [21] also declare that emotional brand experiences can also help strengthen customer loyalty. It is possible to agree with the above statement, as advertisements with an emotional appeal can also affect the overall loyalty to the brand. Advertisements' originality and appeal can lead to higher feedback [23]. Properly utilizing emotion in advertising can lead to a more positive attitude toward advertising and branding [24].

Our research is based on the subject part of the use of emotions in advertising. We try to point out the fact that there is a difference in the regional experience of adolescents' emotions. We also focus on the frequency of positive and negative moods in adolescents. Therefore, we decided that the subject of the research is the Christmas advertisement "Man on the Moon", from 2015, from the English retailer John Lewis. The company has built a strong global brand, using emotions in its advertising. Doherty [25] claims, in her research, that even potential customers can quickly identify with the John Lewis brand. This fact contributes to the recognition that the John Lewis brand is well conceptually global. The company's marketing strategy is focused on building employee loyalty and creating a global customer base using elements of emotional marketing [26]. In this way, the company tries to achieve a certain emotional response from customers.

Previous research has relied on the fact that Christmastime is associated with a certain nostalgia. Retailer John Lewis also made intensive use of this in the "Man on the Moon" advertising campaign. The most difficult task of the company in this period is to understand the emotional reaction of customers to the created advertisement [27].

The "Man on the Moon" advertising campaign was published on 6 November 2015. Its basic concept is the emotional appeal of the story. This has become an integral part of the whole advertisement. The "Man on the Moon" campaign is based on the unlikely relationship between a little girl Lily and a lonely old man who lives on the moon. The aim of the advertising concept is not to ensure direct sales of products but an emotional connection with the customer, in order to strengthen the brand [28]. The mission of the campaign is to emphasize the loneliness of the elderly during the Christmas holidays. Research conducted at the University of Southampton under the Active Aging Index has shown that the United Kingdom in the European Union has seen a higher increase in lonely old people. Research has further confirmed that the loneliness of older people, even during the Christmas holiday, is a serious social problem. Therefore, we should appeal to the younger generations not to feel this social problem [29]. The research results are valid for the countries of the European Union. In this sense, we can perceive the loneliness of older people as a global social problem. For this reason, the mission of the campaign is also to raise awareness and thus prevent the "loneliness" of older people even during the Christmas holiday. In order to evoke a certain emotional reaction in the customer, scenes, images, and music are used and appropriately conceived in the advertisement. The impression of advertising creates a sense of belonging, family, love, friendship, and cohesion [30]. In the opposite sense, however, it evokes the opposite reaction in the customer associated with nostalgia in the form of guilt and memories of the past. These can be associated, for example, with the loss of a grandparent, or a family relative or friend. Lonergan [31] stresses that advertising can evoke negative emotions in adolescents. He further emphasizes that, in advertising, there is a so-called commodification of loneliness in the form of strengthening loneliness at Christmastime. His findings underline that advertising evokes what is the exact opposite of Christmas.

Based on the facts about the "Man on the Moon" advertising campaign, the results of the Active Aging Index research, the impact of social networks on adolescents, and the lack of information about the impact of the emotions of the "Man on the Moon" campaign, we decided to conduct research in the Slovak Republic. Our goal was to determine the frequency of positive and negative moods in adolescents. Next, we wanted to find out if there is a difference in regional perception of emotions in the "Man on the Moon" advertisement.

#### **3. Materials and Methods**

Part of our research was also pre-research, the subject of which was focused on the general determination of the influence of emotional appeals in advertising space on adolescents. The statistical group consisted of young people (adolescents) aged 18–20 years. The statistical unit consists of an adolescent, aged 18–20 years, who is influenced by various forms of advertising.

We collected data from respondents in electronic form. Respondents had a non-standardized questionnaire available in electronic form in the period from 1 June 2019 to 31 July 2019, published via social networks. The questionnaire contained 4 questions aimed at general assessment of the impact of emotional appeals in advertising space. In the first question, the respondents indicated which of the selected emotions was associated with the Christmas period. The emotions mentioned in the first question were identical to the standardized tool of the subjective emotional habitual well-being scale in order to achieve better validation of the data. In the second question, the respondents expressed whether they notice in individual periods (Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day, etc.) advertisements with an emotional appeal. The third question in the pre-research was focused on whether advertising with an emotional appeal (story, fear, joy, sincerity, or eroticism) influences the shopping behavior of potential customers. In the last question, we investigated the strength of the effect (influence) of advertising with an emotional appeal to customers.

The expected return of non-standardized questionnaires within the pre-research was 150. Out of the total expected number, 120 respondents completed the questionnaire. The return rate was 80% with all questions completed. Out of the total number of 120 respondents, 46 men and 77 women participated in the pre-research. The following table (Table 1) shows the categorization of men and women by age.


**Table 1.** Categorization of men and women participating in pre-research by age.

From the regional point of view, we recorded the highest return of questionnaires from the Kosice region (46 participants) and from the Presov region (42 participants). We recorded the lowest return of questionnaires from respondents from the Banska Bystrica region, from which 14 returned and 18 correctly completed questionnaires returned from Nitra.

The subject of our research was the mapping of the affective level in adolescents when looking for advertising with a certain emotional appeal. The statistical set consists of respondents aged 18–20 years. According to the results of various researches, we focused on this age category due to the considerable influence of advertisements with emotional appeals. The results of the pre-research allow gathering basic information about the emotional appeal of adolescents.

We used a standardized scale of subjective emotional habitual well-being to map the affective family of adolescents and to find out the results in relation to emotional marketing. It is a psychodiagnostic tool that provides a telling ability about the current emotional state of respondents [32]. To measure the emotional component of subjective well-being, we used a range of descriptive words that express emotions and bodily sensations. Descriptive words are referred to as items. In order to determine the frequency of occurrence of the experienced item, we analyzed the positive and negative mood and the relationship of the region to the experienced emotion. The positive mood in the scale is defined by the following items: joy, happiness, enjoyment, and physical freshness (Cronbach alfa in seven studies, ranging from 0.67 to 0.80; reliability coefficient *r* = 0.63) [32]. The negative mood on the scale is defined by the following items: shame, anger, guilt, fear, pain, and sadness (Cronbach alpha ranging from 0.68 to 0.74; stability coefficient *r* = 0.66; average intercorrelation between the two scales *r* = −0.23) [32]. For the needs of our research, we modified the range of subjective emotional

habitual well-being. We added basic identifying information like region, age, date, school, and gender to the introduction. We also modified the introductory text, adding the name of the "Man on the Moon" advertising campaign. We left the individual items standard.

During the period from 1 September 2019 to 1 January 2020, we carried out the research, where we collected all the necessary data. We carried out the procedure of the data collection from the respondents in a personal survey form, directly in the environment of secondary economic schools. Out of the total number of planned 250, 180 adolescents aged 18–20 participated in the research. The return rate of the standardized questionnaires was 72% with all questions completed. The research took place in five regions of the Slovak Republic, namely Banskobystricky, Kosicky, Nitriansky, Zilinsky, and Presovsky. We visited secondary economic schools in individual regions (Banska Bystrica Business Academy, Roznava Business Academy, Nitra Business Academy, St. Thomas Aquinas Business Academy Zilina, and Presov Business Academy), where we played the Christmas advertisement "Man on the Moon" for fourth-year students. While watching this advertisements, respondents should indicate the frequency which the item is being experienced with. They indicated the frequency of occurrence of the item on a scale from 1 to 6, with 6—almost always, 5—very often, 4—often, 3—occasionally, 2—a few times, and 1—almost never. The research was carried out anonymously and all its participants gave their consent to the processing of their results.

To determine the relevant sample size, we used a formula to calculate the size of the statistical sample, to be able to generalize the research results. According to the data of the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic as of 1 January 2020, the number of young people aged 18–20 was 343,022. In our research, we were able to address a sample of 180 respondents, which corresponded to a 7% significance level. Therefore, it is possible to generalize these results to the whole age category (as the significance level from 1% to 10% is typically used to justify the statistical results) [33].

Out of the total number of 180 respondents, 53 men and 127 women took part in the research. In percentage terms, this represents 29% men and 71% women. When evaluating research results, it is also important to consider the regional aspect. The largest number of respondents came from the Nitra region, presenting 54, which is 30%; 48 respondents from the Košice region, which represents 27 %; 45 respondents from the Zilina region, which represents 25%; 24 respondents from the Banská Bystrica region, which represents 13%; and the smallest number of respondents was from the Prešov region, which had 9, representing 5%.

In order to correctly verify and validate the obtained data, we used various mathematical and statistical methods. These helped us to interpret and compare the results correctly. From the available mathematical–statistical methods of data analysis, we used Pearson's chi-square test in the article, which verified the dependence between the categorical variables region and emotion. Cramer's. In the test, we verified the strength of the dependence found between the categorical variables. Finally, we also used the Kruskal–Wallis test to determine the significance of differences in experienced emotions between regions [34].

#### **4. Results**

In the individual subsections, we describe the results of preliminary research and research.

#### *4.1. Preliminary Research Results*

As already mentioned in the previous chapter of the pre-research, 120 respondents participated. The aim was to determine the general influence of emotional appeals in advertising space on the potential shopping behavior of young people aged 18–20 years. In the individual questions, we generally found out whether advertisements with an emotional appeal influence the shopping behavior of adolescents.

In the first question, we found out which emotion most reminds respondents of the Christmas period. The subject of the pre-research is precisely this period; in the research, we focused mainly on advertising, the main motive of which is the Christmas period. Respondents were asked to mark one emotion that describes Christmas. Individual emotions were used from the standardized methodology of the scale of subjective emotional habitual well-being (Table 2).


**Table 2.** Experienced emotions during Christmas, by age.

The table shows that the largest number of respondents indicated positive emotions that are most associated with the Christmas period. Based on the general assumption, it is possible to identify with the answers of the respondents, as this period is just associated with happiness, joy, and enjoyment. Our goal was to point out if the advertisement, which has the emotional appeal of the story, can influence the emotional experience during this period. Furthermore, in the research, we focused on regional disparities that can affect the experience of positive and negative emotions during the Christmas period.

To analyse the emotions in the pre-research, we focused on the frequency of experiencing positive and negative emotions. We tested them with the Pearson chi-square test. For the purpose of determining the dependence, we also set the following hypotheses:

**Hypothesis 1.** *There is no dependence between the categorical features of a region and emotion.*

**Hypothesis 2.** *There is a dependence between the categorical features of a region and emotion.*

When verifying the hypotheses, we set the significance level at α = 0.05. The following table (Table 3) shows the test results. The decision on the test result is given by the *p*-value.


**Table 3.** The result of Pearson's chi-square of independence.

The table shows that the value of Pearson's chi test is 0.035. We compared the given number with the significance level α = 0.05. It is evident that the value of Pearson's chi test (0.035) is below the level of significance; thus, we accept the alternative hypothesis, H2. This means that there is a relationship between the categorical character of the region and the emotion.

Due to the existence of dependence, we decided to test its strength by using Cramer's V. The result of testing the strength of dependence is shown in the following table (Table 4).



The value of Cramer's V is 0.267, which represents the mean contingency between the categorical variables. From the above, it can be argued that there is a medium dependence between the observed variables. It was also confirmed (*p*-value of Cramer´s V is below the significance level) that the coefficient is statistically significant.

In the second question, we focused on the perception of advertisements with emotional appeal during different seasons. Out of the total number of 120 respondents, 67 (which represents 53.33%) stated that they watched advertising with an emotional appeal during the analyzed periods. Twenty-seven respondents (representing 22.5%) stated that they did not notice advertisements of this type, and 30 respondents (representing 25%) said that they could not assess whether they had seen advertisements with an emotional appeal. From the above, it is possible to generalize that most respondents notice advertisement with an emotional appeal. In order to influence young people, such advertisements are essential.

In the third question, we focused on finding out whether, based on the appearance of an advertisement with an emotional appeal, the respondent would purchase a specific product. The following table (Table 5) shows the number of responses from respondents.

**Table 5.** Respondents' answers to the question concerning the purchase of the product.


The table shows that up to 59.16% of respondents, which represents an absolute majority, would decide on the basis of watching an advertisement with an emotional appeal to buy a product. The result can be seen as a positive aspect in creating marketing campaigns focused on the importance of emotions. Out of the total number of respondents, 20 could not confirm whether they would buy the product, and the remaining 29 stated that they would not buy the product based on the appearance of the advertisement.

We also categorized the individual results by age. Table 6 shows the answers of the respondents by age.


**Table 6.** Categorize answers by age to a question about buying a product.

The table shows that most respondents are aged 18 who would decide to buy a product based on looking for an advertisement with an emotional appeal. Based on the above, it is possible to assume that advertising with an emotional appeal influences their purchasing decisions. Respondents aged 20 were more likely to say that such advertising would not influence their purchasing decision.

We also categorized the answers by gender. The results are shown in the following table (Table 7).

The table shows that mostly men would decide to buy a product based on watching an advertisement with an emotional appeal. More women said they would not buy the product based on watching this type of advertising.

In the last question of the pre-research, we compared the power of advertising with the emotional appeal to shopping behavior of adolescents. We examined the strength of activity by using a 5-point scale. Its explanation is shown in the following table (Table 8).


**Table 7.** Categorize answers by gender to a question about buying a product.

**Table 8.** The 5-point scale of determining the strength of advertising with emotional appeal to adolescents.


The results of this question are shown in the following table (Table 9) as a percentage.

**Table 9.** Respondents' answers to a question concerning the power of emotional advertising on shopping behavior.


The table shows that 28.33% of respondents have an advertisement with an emotional appeal. This can be explained by the fact that this advertisement may not only evoke a feeling of shopping behavior. Its effect can also be expressed by recalling memories of a certain event or a close person. Out of the total number of 39.16% of respondents, they stated that advertising affects and does not affect them. This can be generalized based on how strong the emotional appeal of advertising is and what is its main purpose and goal. For the remaining 33.32% of respondents, advertisements with an emotional appeal do not work, or if they work, they work only very weakly.

As in Question 3, we evaluated the results of Question 4 and focused on the results according to demographic data, the distribution by gender and by age. The results of the age categorization are shown in the following table (Table 10).

**Table 10.** Categorization of answers according to age to the question concerning the scope of advertising with emotional appeal.


From the results of the table, it is possible to see that respondents, regardless of age, are influenced and not influenced by advertising with an emotional appeal. A smaller number of respondents said that their advertising either strongly influences their shopping behavior or not at all. It follows from the above that it is important what advertising with what emotional appeal affects adolescents. Based on it, adolescents decide whether the purchase decision will be positive or negative.

In addition to age, we also categorized the answers by gender. The results are shown in the following table (Table 11).

**Table 11.** Categorization of gender responses to a question about the power of advertising with an emotional appeal.


As with the previous answers, the respondents agreed that advertisements with an emotional appeal can and cannot influence them. As already mentioned, the answers of the respondents may be related to the main motive and focus of the advertisement. In regard to gender, women are more influenced by such advertising than men.

#### *4.2. Research Results*

In the research, we focused on examining the affective level of adolescents in following an advertising campaign from the network of retailer John Lewis. As mentioned above, the concept of advertising is based on the story of a little girl and a lonely older man. The authors' opinions also point out that advertising should evoke negative emotional reactions associated with guilt.

#### 4.2.1. Frequency of Positive and Negative Mood

We used a standardized methodology for the scale of subjective emotional well-being for the research. Within it, we defined individual items, which were divided into positive and negative emotions. The positive mood is defined by the following items: joy, happiness, enjoyment, and physical freshness. The negative mood is characterized by the following items: shame, anger, guilt, fear, pain, and sadness. The following table (Table 12) shows the numbers of positive and negative emotional moods perceived by adolescents. The individual numbers are divided according to the regions in which the research was carried out.



Table 12 shows that the most negative emotions in seeing the "Man on the Moon" advertisement were experienced by adolescents from the Nitra region, which is located in the southern part of the republic. Out of a total of 54 respondents, 47 perceived the "Man on the Moon" advertisement negatively. In percentage terms, it is up to 87.03%. On the contrary, the most positive emotions were experienced by respondents from the Kosice region, which is located in the east of the republic. Out of the total number of 48, 17 respondents perceived the advertising positively. Considering the individual regions where we conducted the research, this is the highest number of respondents who perceive the "Man on the Moon" advertisement positively. Already, the initial results suggest regional emotional reactions of adolescents.

4.2.2. Relationship Between the Frequency of Emotional Mood and Regional Division

The first research question focuses on assessing the existence of the relationship of regional division to the frequency of experienced emotional mood. In this case, we examined whether the individual defined variables (emotion and region) are interdependent. To verify, we used Pearson's chi test of independence, which is a modification of the χ*<sup>2</sup>* test of good agreement for a pair of reported variables. Based on the above, we established the following scientific hypotheses:

**Hypothesis 3.** *There is no dependence between the categorical signs of a region and emotion.*

*n* of Valid Cases 180

**Hypothesis 4.** *There is a relationship between the categorical features of a region and emotion.*

When verifying the hypotheses, we set the significance level at α = 0.05. The following table shows the test result. The decision on the test result is given by the *p*-value of the test, which we marked in black in Table 13.


**Table 13.** The result of Pearson's chi-square of independence.

Table 13 shows that the value of Pearson's chi test is 0.036. We compared the given number with the defined level of significance, α = 0.05. In comparison, we found that the value of Pearson's chi test (0.036) is below the level of significance. It follows from the above that we accept the alternative hypothesis, H4. This means that there is a relationship between the categorical character of the region and the emotion.

Due to the existence of dependence, we decided to test its strength, using Cramer's V. The result of testing the strength of dependence is shown in Table 14.


**Table 14.** The result of Phi Cramer's V dependence testing.

Table 14 shows the result of the dependence strength test. The value in the table is 0.218, which represents the mean contingency between the categorical variables. From the above, it can be argued that there is a medium dependence between the observed variables.

In the next step, we verified the existence of significant differences in the experienced emotional mood between individual regions. We verified the significance between the categorical variables by the Kruskal–Wallis test. For verification, we have defined the following hypotheses:

**Hypothesis 5.** T*here is no significant di*ff*erence in the perception of emotions between regions.*

**Hypothesis 6.** *There is a significant di*ff*erence in the perception of emotions between regions.*

The results of the Kruskal–Wallis Test are shown in Table 15. It follows that there is a significant difference between the regions as the reported *p*-value of the test was 0.037.


**Table 15.** Verification of the significance of differences between categorical variables

We compared the resulting *p*-value of the test with the level of significance. In comparison, we found that the *p*-value is less than the significance level, α = 0.05, defined by us. It follows from the above that we accept an alternative hypothesis about a significant difference in the perception of emotions between regions.

#### **5. Discussion**

Currently, there is a growing trend of creating advertisements with emotional appeal. Marketers try to create advertising that will bring them a higher conversion rate in a positive purchasing decision. Therefore, in many cases, they also use various emotional appeals to help them achieve this goal. However, there are companies whose goal is to strengthen the brand, increase competitiveness, and respond to a particular global social problem. One of these brands is the John Lewis company, which was the first department store to use emotions in advertising space. Each year, they try to use a different emotional appeal in their advertising campaigns. "Man on the Moon" is the most successful advertisement in a global sense. That is why it has become the main subject of our research.

The research presented in the introduction of the article focused on the importance of emotions in advertising and their effect on customers. It has been confirmed in individual research that the emotions that most influence the behavior of adolescents include love, happiness, sadness, and fear. The advertising that was the subject of our research was considered nostalgic by some authors. Nostalgia should be reinforced by arousing the guilt that is the basic concept of all advertising. In the numbers of positive and negative moods in adolescents, we could see that, out of the total number of 180 respondents, up to 136 of them expressed that advertising has a more negative effect on them. This showed negative emotions in adolescents, including guilt. This can be identified with the opinion of Lonergan, who argued that advertising commodifies loneliness in the form of its strengthening. The advertising team creates space for the perception of negative emotions [31,35].

The results from Table 12 initially showed us the differential regional dimensions of the perception of the positive and negative mood after watching the advertisement in question. Subsequently, Pearson's chi test of independence confirmed the dependence between the categorical variable region and the emotion we experienced. In verifying the existence of the significance of differences, we found out by the Kruskal–Wallis test that there is a significant difference in the perception of emotions between regions. Based on the performed tests and verification, we can say that there is a difference in the emotions experienced by adolescents with respect to the geographical division of the country.

Conducting the research, we also found the existence of regional differences after looking at advertising with an emotional appeal. This finding is also generalized by studies and research that have identified significant differences in regional and emotional perception in the introductory part of the article. Regional differences in emotions can be attributed to various factors. These can be, for example, ontogenetic assumptions, social relations, living conditions, the environment in which they grow up, the level of education attained, the culture of the region, and the like. All of these factors can contribute to different perceptions of advertising with an emotional appeal.

According to Sammour et al. [36], John Lewis seeks to implement an innovation strategy. Its elements are also manifested in the form of annual emotional advertisements. The authors further stated that this helps the overall success of the brand in the global market environment. Whether innovative elements are also used in the annual advertisements can be debated.

The authors do not give a concrete example of the application of these elements in brand marketing communication. Therefore, these elements can be considered as general. However, it can be agreed that the annual emotional advertisements contribute to the global success of the John Lewis brand. Based on previous research, it can be argued that John Lewis has a strong global presence. Their annual advertising campaigns also play a significant role in their success. The strengthening of their success is also the fact that, every year, their Christmas advertisement is focused on a different social problem with specific marketing tools (different product placement, sales support, music, etc.) [37].

From the realized research of Barve et al. [15] and Sinigh and Pandey [16], it is possible to identify with some results. The conclusion of the authors was that adolescents intensely perceive the influences and correlation of advertisements with emotional appeal. This can also be reflected in their behavior and overall social experience. Our research has confirmed that adolescents perceive advertising with negative emotions. These are the ones that can be reflected in their future social behavior. In this, we also see room for further research. Furthermore, the authors' results focused on the differences in the emotional reactions of girls and boys. They found that girls seem more emotional when watching advertisement, and boys are more rational. This fact may be the subject of our further research. We will examine the extent to which girls seemed more emotional and boys more rational for watching the "Man on the Moon" ad. We also see space in further research in the area of comparison and dependence of categorical variables of sex and experienced emotion and age and experienced emotion. These areas will be examined autonomously.

The result of the research by the authors Nadanyiova [17] and Kliestikova [18] was a higher interaction between the customer and the company when looking at emotional advertising. The stated opinion of the authors can be confirmed. The primary goal of the John Lewis company is to build a strong brand among customers. Here you can see the link as emotional advertisement from the John Lewis company are considered worldwide successful. Using emotions in advertising can also strengthen the overall financial performance of the company. This can help increase the company's profits. [38,39].

Part of our research was the emotional assessment of the second advertising campaign "You Don't Think You Will Pay" from the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic. The advertising campaign contains an emotional appeal of fear. The aim of the campaign is to think about oneself. The campaign reflects the way we treat our surroundings and how we can be irresponsible, e.g., driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, not paying attention while driving, using phones while driving, etc. The target group of the campaign was young people after obtaining a driving license.

We examined the campaign on the same sample of respondents, which filled in the standardized tool the scale of subjective emotional habitual well-being of how strongly they experience the given emotion. As a result, our assumption has already been confirmed. All respondents perceived the campaign negatively. The assessment of regional differences and emotional perception is irrelevant in this campaign, as its aim is to evoke a negative experience of the viewer. The dependence of experiencing emotions on the region has not been confirmed.

We can perceive the benefit of the study in two senses, both for the company and for the society. For the company, we see the benefit in the impact of advertising on the life of the company. The influence of people on advertising has been confirmed. In the pre-research part, we found that advertising with an emotional appeal influences the shopping behavior of young people. Research has shown that there is an influence of emotional appeal on the frequency of positive and negative mood. Although we did not confirm the frequency of emotional mood in one advertising campaign and the dependence between emotion and region, we can confirm that there was an impact on adolescents. Individual advertisements can evoke a certain sense of guilt in adolescents and thus contribute to real social values. Therefore, the study can also contribute to the sustainability of the global social values of society, by considering advertising with an emotional appeal.

From a business point of view, well-designed advertising responding to the current social problem can contribute to the rapid spread through social networks. So, it can quickly become a viral video that can reach several million views in a very short time. However, the question is why such advertising quickly becomes viral. The answer may be to respond to a specific issue that is the main motive of the advertisement. This type of advertising can significantly influence the social perception of adolescents, their shopping behavior, and respect for traditional values. However, the advantage for a company can be rapid dissemination via social networks, brand strengthening, and competitiveness.

#### **6. Conclusions**

Based on the conducted surveys, it is possible to claim that emotions are of fundamental importance in advertising space. They can evoke not only positive but also negative emotions in the customer. These can be associated with the loss of a family relative or friend, or other misfortune. It is all the more difficult to perceive such emotions during holidays such as Christmas, when people should be with each other and spend time together. Advertisements that emphasize negative emotions during the Christmas holiday, for example, can also make a customer feel brand-detached. Therefore, it is always necessary to consider what emotion in the advertising space the company will use.

When conducting the research, we wanted to point out the differences in the perception of emotions in individual regions in the Slovak Republic. We've found that adolescents perceive advertisements with emotional appeal. Another important finding was the fact that there is a difference in the perception of positive and negative emotions depending on the geographical positioning. Research is limited by the number of respondents and by the use of Pearson chi independence test and Cramer's V methods. In the future, we would also continue with the calculation of Cronbach alpha and factor analysis. We can express a methodological reservation about the lack of information about other variables from the background of the research, about the respondents and their socioeconomic status, background, life situations, and study environment, which may be related to positive and negative perceptions. We plan to conduct the research on a regular basis. We want to find out if there is a difference in the perception of emotions with an interval of one to two years in the same adolescents. We plan to expand the research to include a comparison of age dependence and perception of an emotional advertising appeal. Research findings can be applied in the field of marketing, specifically in the creation of advertising campaigns using emotional appeals. Marketing managers can use this knowledge to get closer to the target segment.

The research findings can also contribute to the development of integrated marketing communication. Advertisements using emotional appeals can contribute to effective integration between multiple communication channels. Therefore, using emotions in advertising space, we can strengthen traditional communication models. We see our contribution in strengthening the basic factors by the following: choosing and using the right emotional appeal, the right response to a social problem respecting global cultural differences, and the right timing of advertising.

**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, D.V. and A.K.; methodology: E.S. and K.V.; software, K.V.; validation, D.V. and E.S.; formal analysis K.V.; investigation, A.K.; resources, D.V.; data curation, D.V.; writing—original draft preparation, D.V. and A.K.; writing—review and editing, D.V. and K.V.; visualization, D.V.; supervision, A.K.; project administration, A.K.; funding acquisition, A.K. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** The paper is an output of the science project VEGA no. 1/0718/18: The impact of psychographic aspects of pricing on the marketing strategy of companies across products and markets.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

#### **References**


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