Study objectives are: 1) to investigate the difference in consumer perceptions of the model’s image and physical attractiveness according to advertising model types; 2) to explore the effect of the difference between the model’s image and the consumer’s self image, the difference between the model’s image and the brand’s image, and the physical attractiveness of the model on attitude toward the advertising model; and 3) to explore the effect of attitude toward the advertising model on attitude toward the advertisement. A total of 306 female consumers over the age of 45 participated in experiments with advertisement stimuli for a senior apparel brand. Results showed a significant difference in the model’s images and physical attractiveness according to each model type. The consumer’s attitude toward the advertising model was determined by physical attractiveness of the model, not by the difference between model’s image and the consumers’ self-image, nor by the difference between the model’s image and brand image. Attitude toward advertisements was determined by attitude toward the advertising model. The findings imply that advertising models of a senior apparel brand can be selected based on the physical attractiveness of the model. Consumers do not consider whether the model’s image fits well with their self-images or the brand’s image when building an attitude toward the advertising model, and this precedes the consumer’s attitude toward the advertisement. These results can be used as guidelines to select appropriate models for advertisements of senior apparel brands.

The purpose of the study is to examine the effect of VMD image appropriateness in apparel shopping contexts. Two competing models are utilized. The first model is developed from the emotion-cognition theory which explains that environmental cues(i.e., VMD image appropriateness) generate consumers' emotion, and in turn, consumers' behaviors. The second model is developed based on the cognitive theory of emotions and posits that environmental cues stimulates consumers' cognitive perceptions of retail environments, subsequently influencing consumers' emotional and behavioral response. A 2(VMD image appropriateness: high vs. low) between-subjects factorial design experiment was conducted. Female college students(n=592) participated in the experiment. Using structural equation modeling the study found that the emotion-cognition model better explains the effect of VMD image appropriateness on consumers' emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses.