Advertising Eco-Friendly Behavior To Young Adults: “Sweat” or “Do Good”?

Appeals in environmental advertising often refer to the caring aspect of the eco-friendly behavior they promote, such as “Take care of our planet.” Being caring, however, is perceived as feminine, and associations with femininity can constitute a barrier to ecofriendly decisions among men, especially among young men who tend to be the least eco-friendly individuals. The experiment presented in this paper was focused on young adults. When decision involvement was low, a care appeal, compared with a gender-neutral physical activity appeal, decreased eco-friendly intentions among males. Perceived self-congruence mediated the effect. This research recommends green appeals that are perceived as gender neutral.