Consumers' Insights About Spirituality in Advertising

While the study of spirituality in advertising is an emerging area of scholarship, previous research tends to focus more on the spiritual message rather than on the consumer. Although some studies report on the meanings consumers derive from spiritual advertising messages, the definitions of spirituality as religion in these studies are not in alignment with the holistic approach applied here. In this article, we interview consumers and ask what meanings may emerge from their responses to spiritually dense commercials. (By spiritually dense we mean commercial messages rich with spiritual core ideas, as described in the Spirituality in Advertising Framework). Four themes have emerged from the data: authenticity, the journey, inspiration, and nature. We analyze these findings in light of both theory and practice. Consideration of ethical issues and the positive dimension of spirituality in advertising are also discussed.