15 Can you think of some adverts that include babies? Look for the same advert and puppy in Italy. What is the brand of toilet paper advertised? Kewpie doll bravery: coraggio bunging: infilare cheekiness: sfacciataggine to elicit: suscitare greed: avidit hard-wired: programmati to harness: utilizzare shortcuts: scorciatoie to showcase: mettere in mostra toddler: bambino che ha appena imparato a camminare wisdom: saggezza 38 ANIMALS AND CHILDREN Another good strategy to draw attention and raise positive emotions in people (and, as a consequence, positive thoughts on the brand which showcased them) are animals and babies. Big heads and big eyes According to psychologists, people are subconsciously attracted to kids and infant-looking animals due to the socalled Kewpie doll effect, which refers to the notion that infant-like facial features are perceived as cute and lovable and elicit favourable responses from others. This term derived from research in ethology to help explain how a child s physical features, such as lengthened forehead and rounded face, motivate the baby s caregiver to take care of them. The child s physical features are said to resemble a brand of dolls called Kewpie. In other words, we are literally programmed to like creatures with a big head and expressive eyes. Moreover, children are usually seen as pure and innocent. The birth of a new child often brings hope and represents a new chance and a new beginning, for this reason, besides the Kewpie doll effect, toddlers and babies are very frequently used in marketing communication. Why animals? A study done by USA Today a few years back showed that, in the previous four years, the commercials which had reached the top five featured an animal. Apparently, by associating a brand with such an attractive stimulus, companies could positively influence the attitude of consumers even if that same animal did not relate to the product or provided no information about it either. Audiences experience positive emotions for animals, so marketers use them to stimulate association between the feelings for the animal and the brand. This results in an increased consumer trust in the brand and thus promotes buying behaviour. There are many examples of brands that include animals in their adverts. To name one, Andrex has nearly twice the market share of its nearest competitor, and that is all thanks to the Andrex Puppy . When it first appeared in a TV advert in 1972, Andrex s market share was 23%. Concluding 1970s, this had risen by 7%. Today, over 130 adverts later, it is by far the most recognisable brand of toilet paper in the UK.