가짜가 통할까? 예쁜게 통할까? : 제품 유형과 화장품 광고 이미지의 보정 여부가 소비자 반응에 미치는 영향

Purpose: Recent debates over advertising image retouching have raised concerns about its psychological and behavioral impact on consumers. However, consumer responses to retouched images may vary depending on the type of product advertised. This study aims to investigate the interaction effect between image retouching (retouched vs. unretouched) and product type (functional vs. hedonic) on consumer evaluations in the context of cosmetic advertising. Research design, data, and methodology: A 2 (image retouching: retouched vs. unretouched) × 2 (product type: functional lip balm vs. hedonic lipstick) between-subjects experiment was conducted with 201 female participants (Mage = 38.45) recruited via MTurk. Result: A significant interaction effect was found. Retouched images elicited more favorable attitudes and purchase intentions for hedonic products (lipstick), whereas unretouched images were more effective for functional products (lip balm). Conclusions: The effectiveness of visual retouching depends on product type, consistent with the Elaboration Likelihood Model. Advertisers should tailor image strategies based on whether the product appeals to consumers’ utilitarian or hedonic motivations.