Emotional blackmail for dads : a qualitative analysis of father involvement public service announcements.

Abstract

Public Service Announcements (PSA) and Corporate Advertisements are essential mass communication tactics for most public communication campaigns. This study aims to investigate the appeals used in PSA and Corporate Ads on campaigns addressing father involvement in a family. 38 advertisements were content analysed using a qualitative, apriori coding method. Findings from the content analysis suggested a distinction between the Asian and Western contexts in terms of appeals used, and the fairly accurate portrayal of the role of the father in these ads, thus building up a strong rhetorical situation to address the issue of father involvement. Nine fathers of young children were interviewed to investigate the perceptions of fathers towards their own roles as fathers as well as towards the appeals used in the advertisements. Findings from the interviews suggested a shift towards less traditional roles that modern fathers now play, such as that of being a play partner and providing emotional support for their children. However, the fathers interviewed still viewed their traditional roles of being the disciplinarian and financial provider as important. The general sentiment towards the advertising appeals of father involvement PSAs seemed to be leaning towards a preference for fresh ideas such as the humour appeal, which is not commonly seen in the Asian context. Finally, implications for the field of advertising and social policies to encourage father involvement are discussed.