Interpretation of an advertising message can be influenced by the context or environment in which the ad appears. Communication theorist Marshall McLuhan’s thesis, “The medium is the message,” implies that the medium communicates an image that is independent of any message it contains. A qualitativemedia effect is the influence the medium has on a message. The image of the media vehicle can affect reactions to the message. For example, an ad for a high-quality men’s clothing line might have more of an impact in a fashion magazine like GQ than in Sports Afield. Airlines, destination resorts, and travel-related services advertise in publications such as Travel & Leisure partly because the articles, pictures, and other ads help to excite readers about travel.

A media environment can also be created by the nature of the program in which a commercial appears. One study found that consumers reacted more positively to commercials seen during a happy TV program than a sad one. Advertisers pay Premium dollars to advertise on popular programs that create positive moods, like the Olympic Games and Christmas specials. Conversely, advertisers tend to avoid programs that create a negative mood among viewers or may be detrimental to the company or its products. Many companies won’t advertise on programs with excessive violence or sexual content. As a corporate policy, Coca-Cola never advertises on TV news programs because it thinks bad news is inconsistent with Coke’s image as an upbeat, fun product. Astudy by Andrew Aylesworth and Scott MacKenzie found that commercials placed in programs that induce negative moods are processed less systematically than ads placed in programs that put viewers in positive moods. They suggest that media buyers might be well advised to follow the conventional wisdom of placing their ads during “feel-good” programming, especially if the message is intended to work through a central route to persuasion. However, messages intended to operate through a peripheral route to persuasion might be more effective if they are shown during more negative programs, where presumably viewers will not analyze the ad in detail because of their negative mood state.