"Damn good coffee" : Swear words and advertising

Abstract: Swear words and their role in advertising have been debated for a long time. There has been a general sentiment that the use of swear words should be avoided in ads so they would not appear crass or offensive. Does this sentiment still reflect reality or could swear words be used to good effect in advertising? The aim of the present study is to find out how a number of informants react to the presence of swear words in advertisements, and what their general attitude toward swearing is. An online survey with 54 respondents provided quantitative data, and two group interviews supplemented it with more qualitative information. The study shows that respondents reacted favourably towards adverts with swear words as long as they were not too offensive.