Counter Advertising - Definition & Example

Published in Marketing and Strategy Terms by MBA Skool Team

What is Counter Advertising?

Counter Advertising is defined when an advertisement takes an opposing position within the ad which it is talking about. Counter advertising is done for advertising of provocative and sensitive topics. It was first introduced in the United States by Federal Trade Commission in 1972.


Counter Advertising Example

Counter advertising is commonly used to counter the effects that spirit consumption can have. This can be done in the form of print or broadcast advertisements, print and broadcast advertisements. The effectiveness of the counter advertising is measured by the elaborative likelihood model (ELM). For the option of print and broadcast advertisements, some factors like emotional appeal and audience factors influences the effectiveness. For warning labels, the content, design and audience factors all influence the effectiveness of the ad. The effectiveness of the ads is evaluated in terms of the extent in which they impact the drinking behavior.


Researchers have found that the ability to recall warning label messages is highest among young respondents, heavier drinkers and purchasers of beverages. Heavy drinkers perceive the warning labels less favorably in spite of knowing the drinking risks more in comparison to the light drinkers.


In conclusion, to predict the situations under which counter advertising approaches will work, researchers must understand the processes contributing/limiting the effectiveness. Counter advertising must lead to a proper attitude change and must intend to affect the behaviors they target.

Hence, this concludes the definition of Counter Advertising along with its overview.

This article has been researched & authored by the Business Concepts Team. It has been reviewed & published by the MBA Skool Team. The content on MBA Skool has been created for educational & academic purpose only.

Browse the definition and meaning of more similar terms. The Management Dictionary covers over 1800 business concepts from 5 categories.

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