Purpose: Dental caries is a prevalent global public health issue, influenced by poor oral hygiene and high sugar consumption. Media, particularly advertising, plays a crucial role in shaping these behaviours. While message framing has been widely studied in commercial advertising, little is known about its application in dental health public service announcements (PSAs). This study aims to analyse dental health PSAs and commercial advertisements (ads) through the lens of message framing theory to identify how different framing strategies can enhance audience engagement.
Methods: A systematic YouTube search was conducted to identify advertisements in four categories: dental products, chocolates, sodas, and dental health PSAs. The first three advertisements from each category were analysed. Each ad was evaluated based on its promise, support elements, and core values. The framing strategies used in commercial advertisements were compared with those used in dental health PSAs.
Results: The analysis revealed that commercial advertisements for dental products, chocolates, and sodas employed diverse framing strategies focused on emotional appeals, aligning their messages with values such as success, freedom, and social acceptance. In contrast, dental health PSAs consistently emphasised health related messages supported by educational content.
Conclusions: Dental health PSAs often fail to connect with the public due to their focus on rational, health based appeals, whereas commercial advertisements more effectively engage audiences by framing messages around personal or social values. Reframing dental health PSAs to incorporate emotional drivers and align with audience values, such as freedom, social connection, and success, could improve their effectiveness in promoting oral health behaviours.