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OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT06704295

High Impact E-cigarette Advertisement Features

This randomized controlled trial aims to examine the effects of high-impact e-cigarette advertisement features among young adults of various tobacco-use statuses. Previous research on examining the effects of e-cigarette advertisement features found that flavor-related features (e.g., flavor-associated product color, name and image, flavor sensation descriptor, and flavor choice claim) may have the largest impact on shaping young adults' perceptions and use intentions of e-cigarettes. No research so far has solely focused on examining the effects of those high-impact flavor-related advertisement features. The present study assessed the effects of high-impact flavor-related advertisement features, including flavor descriptor name, e-cigarette product color (which indicates flavors), flavor-related image, flavor sensation descriptor, and flavor choice claim on perceptions and behavioral intentions among a large online sample of young adults aged 18-30 who either smoke cigarettes or do not use tobacco products. The study is a six-group RCT with parallel assignments that will be delivered through an online self-administered questionnaire consisting of one session. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of six trial arms: 1) dark gray product with tobacco flavor name, 2) dark gray product with strawberry flavor name, 3) colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name, 4) colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and strawberry image, 5) colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name, strawberry image, strawberry flavor sensation descriptor, and 6) colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name, strawberry image, strawberry flavor sensation descriptor, and flavor choice claim. Participants will be exposed to one advertisement corresponding to the assigned condition, and answer survey questions immediately after message exposure.

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Key information

Conditions

Vaping Behavior Behavior Health Behavior Smoking Tobacco Use Cessation Vaping

Age range

18 year–30 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Rutgers University

New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901, United States

About this study

The FDA considers the marketing plans of new e-cigarette products for premarket tobacco product application approval. Flavor-related advertisement features may entice young adults who do not use tobacco products to use the products but may also generate complete product switching interests among young adults who smoke cigarettes. This study tested the effects of several high-impact e-cigarette advertisement features related to flavors to inform the FDA's policymaking and public health preventive messages.

Setting: The trial will be an experiment delivered through an online self-administered questionnaire consisting of one session over 20 minutes.

Recruitment: Participants will be recruited from the research company Qualtrics from its research panels.

Informed Consent: Participants will provide online consent prior to taking the survey.

Randomization: After providing informed consent and answering pre-exposure questions, the investigator will use Qualtrics programming to randomize participants into one of the six trial conditions. The randomization will use least fill for the allocation of conditions where if the counts for the conditions were equal, the survey would assign the condition sequentially.

Assessment: Participants will take part in one session (estimated at about 20 mins): participants will answer questions assessing tobacco use status, cigarette smoking quit intentions and attempts (only asked young adults who smoke cigarettes), e-cigarette use, and other tobacco product use. They will then view one e-cigarette advertisement for at least 12 seconds and report immediate outcomes, including perceptions and behavioral intentions related to the e-cigarette product they see in the advertisement.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Three groups of young adult subjects will be included in the study. The first group is those who are exclusive cigarette smokers (n=1000), defined as those who have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and have smoked at least one cigarette in the past 30 days but have not used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days. The second group is those who are dual users of cigarettes and e-cigarettes (n=1000). Those in this group have smoked more than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and have smoked a cigarette and also used an e-cigarette in the past 30 days. The third group is those who are non-tobacco users (n=1000), defined as those who have never used any tobacco product before or have never "regularly" used tobacco products before and are currently not using any tobacco products (in the past 30 days).

Exclusion criteria

  • Any subjects not meeting the inclusion criteria will be excluded from the study. Individuals will be further excluded if they do not provide consent to participate in the study.

Treatment and study plan

Control ad with dark gray product with tobacco flavor name

Behavioral

The e-cigarette ad with a dark gray product with a tobacco flavor name

Dark gray product with strawberry flavor name

Behavioral

The e-cigarette ad with a dark gray product with a strawberry flavor name

Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name

Behavioral

The e-cigarette ad with a colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name

Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and image

Behavioral

The e-cigarette ad with colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and strawberry image

Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor features

Behavioral

The e-cigarette advertisement with colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name, strawberry image, and strawberry flavor sensation descriptor

Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor features and choice claim

Behavioral

The e-cigarette ad with colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name, strawberry image, strawberry flavor sensation descriptor, and flavor choice claim

Primary outcomes

  1. Intentions of Using the E-cigarette

    Time frame: Immediately after exposure

    A single item measuring the intentions of using the e-cigarette shown in the ad, assessed immediately after exposure (exposure took approximately 12 seconds). Response options are from 0 (Extremely unlikely ) to 10 (Extremely likely).

  2. Intentions of Switching Completely to the E-cigarette

    Time frame: Immediately after exposure

    A single item measuring participants' intentions of switching completely to the e-cigarette shown in the ad, assessed immediately after exposure (exposure took approximately 12 seconds). Response options are from 0 (Extremely unlikely ) to 10 (Extremely likely). This question is only asked among those who smoke cigarettes.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Intentions of Using the E-cigarette Compared to Cigarettes

    Time frame: Immediately after exposure

    A single item measuring the intentions of using the e-cigarette shown in the ad compared to smoking cigarettes, assessed immediately after exposure (exposure took approximately 12 seconds). Response options are from 0 (Much less likely ) to 10 (Much more likely).

  2. Intentions of Using the E-cigarette Compared to Other E-cigarettes

    Time frame: Immediately after exposure

    A single item measuring the intentions of using the e-cigarette shown in the ad compared to using other e-cigarette products, assessed immediately after exposure (exposure took approximately 12 seconds). Response options are from 0 (Much less likely ) to 10 (Much more likely).

  3. Ad Appeal

    Time frame: Immediately after exposure

    A 3-item scale for those who do not use tobacco, measuring to what extent participants perceive the ad they saw to be appealing, assessed immediately after exposure (exposure took 12 seconds), including liking the ad, curious about the product shown in the ad, and interest in using the product shown in the ad. Response options are from 0 (Dislike very much ) to 10 (Like very much) for ad liking and 0 (Strongly disagree) to 10 (Strongly agree) for the other two items. Average scores of the three items were calculated (0-10). A 4-item scale for those who smoke cigarettes, including the same 3-item scale and an additional single item measuring the agreement on whether the ad makes them want to completely switch to the e-cigarette shown in the ad. Response options are from 0 (Strongly disagree) to 10 (Strongly agree). Average scores of the four items were calculated (0-10).

  4. Perceived Absolute Harm of Using the E-cigarette

    Time frame: Immediately after exposure

    A single item measuring the participants' perception of having health problems from using the e-cigarette shown in the ad, assessed immediately after exposure (exposure took 12 seconds). Response options are from 0 (Extremely unlikely ) to 10 (Extremely likely).

  5. Perceived Absolute Addictiveness of Using the E-cigarette

    Time frame: Immediately after exposure

    A single item measuring the participants' perception of becoming addicted to using the e-cigarette shown in the ad, assessed immediately after exposure (exposure took 12 seconds). Response options are from 0 (Extremely unlikely ) to 10 (Extremely likely).

Other outcomes

  1. Sensory Appeal of the E-cigarette

    Time frame: Immediately after exposure

    Exploratory outcome: Four items measuring the agreement with the sensory appeal of the e-cigarette shown in the ad, assessed immediately after exposure (exposure took 12 seconds): the taste of the e-cigarette would: 1) be harsh, 2) be sweet, 3) be fruity, and 4) have a tobacco taste. Response options are from 0 (Strongly disagree) to 10 (Strongly agree). Average scores of the four items were calculated (0-10). The higher values indicating stronger sensory appeal of e-cigarettes.

  2. Positive Expectancy of Using the E-cigarette

    Time frame: Immediately after exposure

    Exploratory outcome: A single item measuring the agreement with the positive expectancy (I think I might enjoy, experience pleasure, or feel good using this e-cigarette/vape product) of using the e-cigarette shown in the ad, assessed immediately after exposure (exposure took 12 seconds). Response options are from 0 (Strongly disagree) to 10 (Strongly agree).

  3. Negative Expectancy of Using the E-cigarette

    Time frame: Immediately after exposure

    Exploratory outcome: A single item measuring the agreement with the negative expectancy (I think I might feel bad, sick or embarrassed using this e-cigarette/vape product) of using the e-cigarette shown in the ad, assessed immediately after exposure (exposure took 12 seconds). Response options are from 0 (Strongly disagree) to 10 (Strongly agree).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey

Other

Collaborators

  • National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Nov 26, 2024
Registry last updated
Mar 9, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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