Abstract
Health Halos have been used in food advertisements since the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries when the advent of mass-produced consumer goods took hold and manufactures began advertising their products. It wasn’t until nearly eight decades later, however, that theoretical framework specifically involving health halos was recognized in advertising research. Though subsequent research suggests the effectiveness of health halos in making unhealthy food appear healthier, there has been little, if any, attention given to identification of the health halos used in food advertising. This study aims to fill the gap by identifying two of the health halo techniques used in food advertising thus contributing to advertising theory and research. Identification of health halo techniques used in advertising contributes to consumer awareness which has the potential to decrease overconsumption of unhealthy foods. The framework of this study is grounded in a combination of content analysis and case study methodology. The focus of the health halos identified in this study revolve around the concepts of food products using selling points noted as containing no artificial ingredients or preservatives and those advertised as fortified with vitamins and minerals. This study presents a novel theoretical framework to research health halos in food advertisements which can be expanded to include food product labels.
Journal Title
Iowa Journal of Communication
Volume
57
Issue
1
First Page
183
Last Page
204
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Danowski, Debbie
(2025)
"Moldy Whoppers and Vitamin Donuts: Health Halos in Food Advertisements,"
Iowa Journal of Communication: Vol. 57:
No.
1, Article 11.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/ijc/vol57/iss1/11
Copyright
©2025 Iowa Communication Association
