ABSTRACT
There is general agreement that American and British advertising differ, both print and broadcast, and that the difference reflects a difference in culture between the two nations (e.g., Carey, 1975; Dowling, 1980; Lannon, 1986). Advertising that is not tailored to the cultural norms and tastes of its intended audience will fail to communicate effectively (Aydin, Terpestra, & Yaprak, 1984; Chevalier, & Foliot, 1974; Lee, Faber, & O’Guinn, 1985). Despite general agreement on the broad conceptual issue, however, there is little empirical support for the view that American and British advertising differ in fundamental ways (Lyonski, 1985; Taylor, 1983). Strong evidence of dissimilarity can be found in Weinberger and Spotts’ (1989) study of humor in British advertising, which reveals greater use of humor overall, and of pun and satire in particular. The problem with findings that relate to a single executional dimension, such as the use of humor, is that they do not allow us to grasp the underlying philosophical difference that results in dissimilarities at the microlevel.
