The pandemic caused by COVID-19 continues to spread across the United States and many states and cities have adopted rules and ordinances mandating the wearing of facial coverings to prevent the spread of the disease. The research has shown that this is a very effective method to prevent further spread as the disease is highly contagious and there are large numbers of asymptomatic carriers (Cobler, 2020). In states where there are face mask requirements, they are required in just about every building you may enter: airports, malls, doctors’ officers, restaurants, stores, and government buildings. It appears that these requirements will be sticking around, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recently announced that a vaccine for COVID-19 may not be widely distributed until next summer (Ansari & Lubold, 2020). This has posed a tough question for advertisers: should your talent wear a mask in your advertisement?
On the one hand, some have argued that by showing your models without a mask is to provide your audience with a sense of calm and normality (Metrix, 2020). Another way to look at it is that for some, seeing an advertisement where the individuals are wearing masks could create a sense of anxiety. Additionally, the subject of wearing a facemask has become a deeply political one, with high emotions on both sides. Opponents of wearing a face mask argue that it violates their personal freedom (Cobler, 2020). Brands face the possibility of alienating a customer segment, or wading into a political discussion which may not produce the outcome your content intended to do. For example, after the State Fair of Texas in Dallas was cancelled for 2021 and State Fair Officials announced they would have a drive through on fair grounds to purchase some of the Fair’s iconic food (Cobler, 2020). Also, in order to keep with tradition, the usual giant 55-foot Big Tex statue was being erected, with one change: Big Tex is now wearing a mask. As Big Tex went up this year, it caught the eye of politicians using Big Tex for or against their stance on the issue.
However, State Fair Officials explained that the intent is for Big Tex to be a good neighbor, in fact, according to the officials: “As an icon of the Lone Star State and a true Texan, Big Tex is doing his part as a good neighbor to keep the community safe by wearing a Texas-sized face mask this year. All Texans are being asked to do the same and he is standing in solidarity with all of us” (Cobler, 2020. Pg. 1). This is important because to enter the fairgrounds, you must also wear a face mask.
The approach taken by State Fair officials highlights the other side of the argument. In order to maintain that your messaging is the same, your advertisements should have the same message (Williams, 2020). In other words, if your brand is requiring customers and employees to wear face masks, your advertisement should reflect that. This ensures your messaging is consistent across all channels. An example of this is a recent advertisement by Uber that shows drivers wearing masks while picking up passengers, whom are also wearing masks. The advertisement ends with a statement: “No Mask. No Ride” (Metrix, 2020). This one advertisement received 66% positive remarks by viewers on the subject of face masks (Metrix, 2020).
Another example is Vistaprint’s “This is not a mask” advertisement. In this campaign, though the advertisement centers around a mask, it talks about the health benefits of wearing a mask and how wearing one helps prevent the spread of the disease (Metrix, 2020). Though this was an advertisement for Vistaprint, it was portrayed as a public service announcement, and as a result, received over 51% positive sentiments among viewers, 15% viewed with negative sentiments and 34% were neutral. (Metrix, 2020). This reflects the ad connecting to a higher calling about the importance of wearing a mask.
However, when comparing to Menard’s Stay Safe ad, this ad resulted in negative impressions, with 41% of negative viewers giving a negative sentiment. For the most part, viewers thought the Menard’s ad was profiting off the pandemic, as the ad promotes the purchase of Menard’s masks (Metrix, 2020). It is important for brands that if they use masks in their advertising, they should do so in a positive light and not appear to be insincere.
Also to note, the brands that chose to wear masks should make them a main point in the advertisement, this is seen as authentic and genuine (Ryan, 2020). Though, as previously mentioned, brands need to be cautious as to not appear as benefitting from a bad situation. Additionally, according to Williams, when mask wearing is more subtle, the sentiments were more polarized and less positive as if they were the focal point of the content (Williams, 2020). Interestingly enough, in the advertisements without face masks, only 1% of viewers pointed out their absence (Metrix, 2020). This could be because prior to the pandemic, viewers were used to seeing advertisements with no masks, and thus, the other creative elements in that advertisement took over the viewers senses (Ryan, 2020).
Thus, it seems to be that should a brand choose to use actors wearing a mask in their advertising, that if done correctly, will receive positive sentiments from their audience members. On the flip side, if you do not, most will not notice. In conclusions, brands ultimately need to keep messaging consistent across their channels. For some brands, advertising with a mask poses a risk, while for others, it will generate positive attention. As advertisers and marketing managers look for guidance, the findings from this article could be beneficial in helping to make a choice that can boost and aid to the message that ad is attempting to portray.
Sources:
Ansari, T. & Lubold, G. (2020). Cdc chief predicts covid-19 vaccine may not be generally available until next summer. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from: https://www.wsj.com/articles/coronavirus-latest-news-09-16-2020-11600244664
Cobler, P. (2020). Even big tex can’t avoid the mask debate, coming the biggest target in covid-19 political divide. The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved from: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2020/09/17/even-big-tex-cant-avoid-the-mask-debate-becoming-latest-target-in-covid-19-political-divide/
Metrix, A. (2020). Face masks in ads: necessary or nonessential? Ace Metrix. Retrieved from: https://www.acemetrix.com/insights/blog/face-masks-in-ads/
Ryan, T. (2020). Should marketers keep masks out of commercials? Retail Wire. Retrieved from: https://retailwire.com/discussion/should-marketers-keep-masks-out-of-commercials/Williams, R. (2020). Face masks in ads viewed favorably by consumers, study says. Marketing Dive. Retrieved from: https://www.marketingdive.com/news/face-masks-in-ads-viewed-favorably-by-consumers-study-says/582325/
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