Christian Millennials and Christian Symbols in Advertising: Understanding the Effects of Christian Symbols on Advertising Effectiveness

The use of religious symbols in advertising is not novel. For a significant period of time, advertisers have used religious symbols in advertising to appeal to the religions' respective adherents. However, the research on this particular advertising strategy remains sparse. While some studies have show the effectiveness of religious symbols in advertising, there is very little research on the moderating effect of a symbol's perceived sacredness and prominence in the ad on perceived attitude similarity, perceived expertise, perceived trustworthiness, and skepticism. Additionally, much research is needed to further understand generational differences among consumers who view advertisements containing religious symbols.;This research study was designed to better understand the reactions of Christian consumers to Christian symbols used in advertising. A total of 1,093 self-identified Christians viewed one of ten advertisements, eight of which included a Christian symbol, and completed a subsequent survey. Results from the study demonstrate that Christian symbols and the perceived sacredness do moderate important relationships between religiosity and perceived attitude similarity, perceived expertise, and perceived trustworthiness constructs. The presences of a Christian symbol did strengthen the relationship between these constructs when compared to those advertisements that did not contain a Christian symbol. Additionally, the relationships between religiosity and the mentioned constructs were made stronger when a more sacred symbol, the cross, was used when compared to a lesser sacred symbol, the Ichthys. This finding is significant for future research in this area.;The research study compared two generations: Millennials and Baby Boomers. A generational effect was observed between Millennials and Baby Boomers. Christian symbols in advertising were less influential on Millennials' perceived attitude similarity than Baby Boomers' perceived attitude similarity. This demonstrates that using Christian symbols in advertising may not be the most effective way to engage Christian Millennials.