Can Beauty Save the World? A Multimethod Analysis of Regulatory Focus Appeals in Climate Change Advertising

Abstract

This study investigates how organizations can strategically design climate change advertising to foster greater consumer involvement by comparing the effectiveness of promotion‐ and prevention‐focused advertising appeals. Using a sequential explanatory mixed‐methods design, a facial coding experiment revealed that promotion appeals reduced sadness, which in turn positively influenced attitudes toward the ad and increased climate change involvement. A follow‐up qualitative study with communication managers provides practical insights into how these findings can inform the design of climate change advertising campaigns. By identifying the affective mechanism through which promotion‐focused appeals enhance climate change involvement, this study advances research on green advertising and climate change advertising and offers evidence‐based guidance for organizations seeking to design advertising campaigns that more effectively involve consumers with climate change. As organizations increasingly rely on green advertising to support sustainability initiatives, understanding how to design communications that motivate meaningful climate action remains a critical challenge for both researchers and practitioners.