The Morality of Metaphorically wrapped Erotic Ad Packages: Scuba Diving Into Consumers’ Cognitive and Ethical Considerations Dependent Upon Their Need to Simplify

Eroticism and metaphor are frequently used in advertising. However, questions remain as to their combined cognitive and ethical effects across metaphorical variants used and dependent upon viewers’ personal need for structure (PNS). Findings from two experiments indicate that only more sophisticated metaphorical erotic ads cognitively outperform plain erotic ones. Additionally, such instances generate significantly less intense ethical reactions. Moreover, consumers’ PNS level is important such that a higher level produces less favorable cognitive and ethical outcomes. Finally, there appear differences between same PNS level consumers when exposed to a non/metaphorical erotic ad in terms of ethical judgments among others.