Abstract:
In order to identify the line between effective and ineffective shock advertising this study will
research the aspects which affect the effectiveness of shock advertising. Three aspects will
be taken into consideration namely, level of shock, norm violation and memory recall in order
to better understand the perceptions of shock advertising in Cape Town. The study will take
on an interpretivist lens and will therefore be a predominantly a qualitative research. The
sample group will consist of 110 respondents who will be separated by into two groups. 100
of the participants will be involved in an online survey whilst the remaining 10 will be involved
in an ongoing in depth interview to properly analyse their memory recall, level of shock and
norm violations in an attempt to identify the limitations of shock advertising.
