Advertising exposure is part of everyday life, specially, due to individuals’ growing exposure to Social Media Networks and Smartphones. Therefore, advertising has a profound impact on individuals’ daily life, by shaping their opinions, attitudes, beliefs, perception and even their affective behaviour towards themselves and others, which will in turn impact their attitudes towards the brand and their consuming behaviour. Positive Psychology focuses on the study and research of psychological states (e.g., contentment, joy), individual traits (e.g., intimacy, integrity, altruism, wisdom), and social institutions that enhance well-being and make life most worth living (APA, 2018). Given its potential to promote human flourishment, Positive Psychology is being applied, among others, to Marketing settings to facilitate the development of advertising campaigns that enhance positive human traits (Tom, et al., 2023).

This Curricular Unity proposes to equip students with knowledge and skills that facilitate their effective design of Advertising to reach their audience through the application of Positive Psychology principles in their advertising campaigns. Positive Psychology Applied to Advertising will cover several topics, such as: positive psychology in interpersonal relations (positive advertising through the application of PERMA Model - Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Accomplishment - to promote well-being, personal growth and positive experiences in advertising targets and consumers; positive intergroup emotions in advertising as means to reduce any form of stereotyping in advertising), perception of emotions in advertising (emotional mimicry and emotional contagion in advertising as means to learn about the affective impact of emotions in advertising in their targets and development of positive attitudes towards brands).

Through the application of Positive Psychology in Advertising, consumers experience an enhanced consumer experience, therefore it is of paramount importance that students emerge with a better understanding of Positive Psychology and how it is applied on the development of positive advertising campaigns. They will be aware of the the shifts and challenges that are occurring in the marketing practice to shape consumers’ attitudes and behaviours in order to facilitate the design of effective and positive advertising that promote wellbeing and positive attitudes towards the consumer in itself and the brand.