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ABSTRACT
Anthropomorphism refers to the tendency to imbue the nonhuman objects with human-like characteristics, intentions, and behaviour. This study aims to examine that demonstrating the efficacy of the product using human behaviour (anthropomorphic demonstration) in advertising is more effective in explaining the efficacy of the products that are difficult to understand. We used hero archetype to illustrate the product efficacy in human behaviour. The results of two studies suggest that anthropomorphic demonstration has a positive effect on perceived product efficacy. These studies also find that anthropomorphic demonstration effect would be higher when the product represented character has high similarity to humans. Consumers successfully anthropomorphise the product when the products are presented as human which have human-like behaviour and human-like physical appearance. Further, the results indicate that perceived product efficacy significantly mediates the effect of anthropomorphic demonstration on purchase intention.
Keywords: product demonstration, anthropomorphism, advertising, perceived product efficacy, purchase intention
INTRODUCTION
Anthropomorphism is defined as "the tendency to imbue the real or imagined behavior of nonhuman agents with humanlike characteristics, motivations, intentions, or emotions" (Epley, Waytz, & Cacioppo, 2007, p. 864). People have a tendency to anthropomorphise objects (Guthrie, 1995), such as seeing faces in the clouds, threatening an angry volcano, personify pets, or talking to a computer. Every day, public is bombarded by advertisements with human-like images - mosquitoes compete in boxing, batteries shoot at targets and dance like human, pans and cups are able to speak, fruit with eyes, arms, and legs, and many spokes character created by the advertiser. Human-like form, behaviour, and character are lasting and powerful because they are embedded in the mind of every human as anthropomorphism. How can the benefits of anthropomorphism be realised in advertising? The unique form of human-like characters is preferred by consumers and creates a product liking, but advertising is often not merely satisfied with the product liking. Advertising wants to convince consumers that the product is effective to overcome the consumers' problems.
A recent TV ad in Indonesia for 'Baygon', an insect repellent, shows a boxing match between mosquitoes against Baygon. In the boxing ring, the Baygon smoke transformed into a human hand, punched the mosquitoes, and the frightened mosquitoes bounced into the air and disappeared. The boxing match, which exists in the...