CONTRASTING IMPACT OF CELEBRITY ENDORSED ADVERTISEMENTS TRIGGERING SELF-COMPASSION AND SELF-ESTEEM ON CONSUMERS’ ATTITUDE TOWARDS SUCH ADVERTISEMENTS – MEDIATING ROLES OF CELEBRITY ATTRACTIVENESS, CELEBRITY EXPERTISE AND CELEBRITY TRUSTWORTHINESS

Abstract

Purpose: The current study tests two models. First model included celebrity endorsed advertisement triggering self-compassion (featuring a normal sized celebrity) as the independent variable, attitude towards advertisement as the dependent variable and celebrity attractiveness, celebrity expertise and celebrity trustworthiness as mediators. Second model included celebrity endorsed advertisement triggering self-esteem (featuring an ideally thin celebrity) as the independent variable, attitude towards advertisement as the dependent variable and celebrity attractiveness, celebrity expertise and celebrity trustworthiness as mediators. Research Design/Data Collection: A quantitative research strategy using a combination of experimental and cross-sectional designs was used to test hypotheses of each model. 158 responses from female students and working professionals belonging to age bracket 18-30 years from Lahore, Pakistan were recorded for both models of this study through a within subjects survey experiment.