Does the Italic Font in Promotional Displays Facilitate Consumers’ Intertemporal Choice?

Abstract

Intertemporal selection is an issue that has been studied in multiple disciplines. Little previous literature has examined the effect of font style on intertemporal choice. I believe that studying the effect of font style on intertemporal choice in advertising, within the context of marketing, can better enable marketers to make appropriate marketing advertisements and achieve better marketing results. I argue that the use of italic fonts in time-limited promotional advertisements can make consumers perceive that the time for Larger-Later rewards passes faster and thus be more willing to consider Larger-Later rewards in their intertemporal choices. And time duration as a mediating variable can mediate the effect of italic fonts on intertemporal choice.