Which of the following emotional appeals is least commonly used by advertisers?

• A. Sadness
• B. Humor
• C. Happiness
• D. Fear

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of emotional appeals in advertising. Emotional appeals are strategies used by advertisers to evoke specific feelings in the audience to influence their attitudes or behaviors.
2. Step 2: Identify common emotional appeals used in advertising. These often include humor, happiness, fear, and sometimes sadness, among others.
3. Step 3: Consider the effectiveness and frequency of each emotional appeal. Humor, happiness, and fear are widely used because they tend to engage viewers positively or motivate action.
4. Step 4: Reflect on why sadness might be less commonly used. Sadness can evoke discomfort or negative feelings that advertisers may want to avoid to prevent alienating their audience.
5. Step 5: Conclude that among the options given, sadness is the least commonly used emotional appeal in advertising due to its potential to create negative associations.