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Sports advertisements such as the Super Bowl showcase products and brands that have invested increasingly large sums financially to gain viewers’ attention. However, how audio features in advertisements impact viewers' behavior remains unexplored.

Using the lens of signaling theory, this research uses advanced data analytics of voice and music audio in Super Bowl advertisements to examine its impacts on viewers.

Results show that advertisement viewers prefer more voiced frames and have a greater liking behavior of voiced frames with a low intensity (less loud) and a higher F1 frequency, which is typically associated with male vocal tracts. A fast music tempo works better for longer advertisements. The model controls for various types of ad appeals. The research underlines the importance of voice and music in signaling successful brand features that are likely to increase the ad-liking behavior of consumers (positive effect).

The current research implies that brands advertising through sports ads must carefully select voice actors and music in order to provide the most positive signals for a brand to have the most significant effect and, thus, a greater return on the high sums invested in the ads.

First, this research contributes in terms of a new research process for using audio analytics in advertising. The detailed research process outlined can be used for future research examining audio and music from advertisements. Second, our findings provide additional support to the important role of voice features (e.g. intensity and frequency) as signals in inducing responses from consumers (Biswas et al., 2019; Hagtvedt and Brasel, 2016). Third, the study surfaces a new theoretical association: the effect of tempo in moderating the relationship between duration and propensity to like an ad.

Joint advertising is an emerging strategy where marketers promote both brands in the same marketing communication. This research determines how the domestic, foreign, or global nature of the partner impacts important brand-related outcomes and identifies underlying psychological process mechanisms and contextual variables that affect this relationship.

Across three experiments, we investigate how the type of joint advertising partner impacts consumer attitudes and behaviors. We establish the number of similarities between the partners and perceived cognitive fit as the mediating process mechanisms underlying this relationship, with holistic processing moderating the effect.

We find that when consumers are exposed to joint advertisements between domestic or global [foreign] brands, they will be able to generate more [fewer] similarities between the partners and perceive a stronger [weaker] cognitive fit. Moreover, these similarities interact with consumer cultural traits related to holistic processing style to differentially influence perceived cognitive fit and downstream consumer attitudes and behaviors.

Partnering for mutually beneficial, joint advertisements is a growing phenomenon that redefines traditional thinking about advertising, but the success of the joint advertisement is contingent upon the characteristics and compatibility of the partners.

The widespread use of mobile apps in marketing has resulted in in-app advertising to promote products and services. Research on in-app advertising has focused on several dimensions but not on the modality of ad generation. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) and memes as advertisements has paved the way for multiple ways to create them. This study aims to understand the effect of various advertisement generation modalities on an individual’s trust, attitude toward the advertisement, subjective norms, intentions and use of a particular product.

Using the theoretical lens of reasoned action and trust, the authors explored through an experimental study (five treatments-AI-generated ad and meme, human-created ad and meme and user-generated meme, and (n = 300) the consumer’s intention to purchase a fictitious shampoo brand based on in-app advertising. The respondents were exposed to one of the treatments without knowledge of the ad generation modality.

Trust differed significantly across all the experimental conditions. Furthermore, the authors observe that the theory of reasoned action holds for all advertising generation modalities.

The use of AI in advertising is increasing exponentially, and brands are using AI-generated content to engage with their audiences on various platforms. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first studies to attempt to understand the effects of various ad generation modalities on the trust, attitude and behavior of individuals. Furthermore, this study examines both AI and human-created memes and their effects. The authors suggest optimizing the prompt engineering to develop AI-generated images.

This study examined perceived brand attractiveness of and identification with fashion luxury brands given different levels of sexuality in advertisements. Sex in advertisements has become increasingly more common to generate attention and interest in fashion luxury products, with limited research on its influence on the consumer. However, the use of sexuality in luxury advertisements may counter the ethical expectations of brands by the current consumer in the United States.

A sample of 1,266 males and females completed a survey on brand attractiveness and identification after examining an advertisement of a luxury fashion product. Participants were assigned an advertisement that featured a same-gendered model at one of four levels of sexuality (fully clothed to nude). IBM SPSS Statistics was used to analyze the data which included descriptive statistics and a two-way multivariate analysis of variance followed by an analysis of variance.

The results indicated that less sexuality in luxury advertisements was better in generating attractiveness to and identification with the brand. The advertisements with models fully clothed were rated highest on brand attractiveness and identification. These relationships were statistically significant among groups of men and women.

These findings are important to scholars and marketers of luxury brands as sexuality in luxury brands continues to increase and becomes more provocative, as well as socially conscious.

This study aims to explore the attraction, influence and persuasive effect of advertising (with or without metaphor) across different types of hotels (luxury vs. budget hotels).

Two independent variables – namely, the hotel category (luxury versus budget) and the use of rhetorical figures (text with metaphors versus text without metaphors) – serve as the basis for the investigation. The research design is a 2 × 2 within-subjects construct based on eye-tracking methodology complemented by questionnaire-based data collection. Participants were engaged with hotel advertisements under four specific conditions, each reflecting a distinct combination of the two independent variables.

The findings reveal the augmented attention-grabbing prowess of advertisements that use metaphors compared to those that do not. Furthermore, the study findings reveal that the hotel category significantly influences the efficacy of advertising; advertisements promoting luxury hotels were found to stimulate superior impression recall, garner higher customer affinity and prompt a more potent intention to patronize the hotel. Finally, the study shows that neither congruent nor incongruent pairings of visual (budget or luxury hotel) and verbal elements (with or without metaphor) yield additional advertising benefits.

This research addresses the limited empirical guidance available for hotel operators at various levels regarding the design of advertisements incorporating rhetorical devices. It highlights the potential benefits of using figurative rhetoric, especially metaphors, in advertising for both budget and luxury hotels. The study reveals a notable correlation between hotel category, particularly luxury offerings, and customer attention, retention, preference and intention to visit. Furthermore, it encourages hotel operators, regardless of their hotel’s ranking, to incorporate metaphorical language into their advertising designs, underscoring the need for strategic integration in overall advertisement planning.

Using high-resolution online eye-tracking technology, this study innovatively examines the influence of hotel category and rhetorical devices on the effectiveness and attention-grabbing potential of advertisements. Through this approach, the study seeks to offer valuable managerial and advertising insights for those involved in hotel marketing.

This study aims to examine how young consumers perceive the advertising effectiveness of endorsements by virtual idols and how endorsements by virtual idols differ from endorsements by real human celebrities such as traditional celebrities and online influencers.

An experimental study was conducted with 400 randomly selected young respondents in China in December 2022. A 3 × 2 factorial design was used to test how the type of celebrity endorser and level of product involvement influence the persuasiveness of advertising aimed at young adults. Among 400 respondents, the average age was 21.5 years. A total of 193 male and 207 female respondents participated in the experiment.

Young consumers find virtual idols, online influencers and traditional celebrities attractive. Although virtual idols are the least credible among the three types of celebrity endorsers, young consumers tend to be more convinced by their endorsements of products with low levels of consumer involvement than those with high levels of involvement. Among the three types of celebrity endorsements, young consumers find traditional celebrities the most effective. In addition, young consumers’ attitudes toward celebrity endorsers mediate the impact of celebrity endorsers’ attractiveness and credibility on their attitudes toward the advertisements. The perceived level of product involvement moderates the transfer of meaning from the attitude toward the celebrity endorsers to the attitude toward the advertisement.

First, when choosing celebrity endorsers to advertise products targeting young consumers, marketing communication practitioners should give priority to the endorsers’ perceived credibility, as young consumers have a variety of views about them that can significantly affect their attitudes toward the advertisement. Second, real human celebrity endorsers are more effective than virtual idols in celebrity endorsements. However, virtual idols may be suited for use in advertisements to promote products with low involvement levels, such as soft drinks.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first experimental study to attempt to analyze the effectiveness of virtual idols in advertising aimed at young consumers. This is also the first comparative study to introduce virtual idols as celebrity endorsers in product advertising and to compare their effectiveness with that of the two other types of commonly discussed celebrity endorsers, traditional celebrities and online influencers.

This study investigates advertising avoidance behavior among consumers, specifically in the realm of meta-platforms. It explores the impacts of digital burnout, advertising clutter, perceived advertising risk, and goal impediment on cognitive and behavioral ad avoidance.

With a sample of 410 respondents, the research employs a comprehensive analysis approach with SEM and CFA, integrating Avoidance Motivation Theory. It examines direct and indirect influences on ad avoidance, mediated by consumer emotions and attitudes. The study highlights the moderating role of content quality in shaping these relationships.

Significant links were found between digital burnout, clutter, perceived advertising risk, and goal impediment with cognitive and behavioral ad avoidance. The study emphasizes the importance of content quality and suggests strategies that focus on emotional resonance, user alignment, and reduced intrusion.

For advertisers and marketers in digital spaces, the findings recommend strategies promoting healthy technology usage, streamlined advertising content, transparent communication aligned with user goals, and emotionally resonant campaigns to mitigate ad avoidance behaviors.

Understanding consumer sentiments aids policymakers in creating conducive advertising models, benefiting both consumers and businesses. This enhances user experiences in digital environments.

The paper distinctively applies the Avoidance Motivation Theory to the context of avoiding social media advertisements, thereby uncovering the causes of negative consumer emotions and attitudes, and highlighting the crucial role of content quality as a means to counteract these adverse reactions.

The current study examines a novel model that examines how the online and offline or general personality of the same person predicts social identification with the endorser in a message and their subsequent online behaviors (e.g. ad-skipping) on social media, both differentially and simultaneously.

Real-time ad-skipping behaviors were tracked and analyzed across three online experiments.

The results supported the model explicating the dual and simultaneous influence of offline and online personalities on ad-skipping behaviors. Specifically, in response to a skippable video ad, online and offline personalities respectively increase and decrease viewers’ identification with the endorser. Consequently, the higher or lower the identification, the lower or higher the rate of ad-skipping behaviors.

The current study will benefit from a larger set of real-world data (i.e. big data) to enhance the generalizability of the findings, supporting the model.

With the growing prevalence of the gap between online and offline self-identities driven by social media usage, this paper suggests that the ad message needs to address the dual influence of both online and offline identities on ad-skipping behaviors.

The current study tests a novel model that shows that the online and offline personalities of the same person concurrently influence one’s behavior on the Internet, rather than separately.

In response to the growing significance of diversity advertising, this study aims to investigate its impact on audience connectedness. This is an emerging metric crucial for gauging diversity advertising success. The study explores two paths via self-identification and belief congruence to understand how diversity advertisements resonate with individuals.

A quantitative study using partial least squares with survey data from 505 respondents was conducted.

Self-identification and belief congruence mediate the relationship between perceived diversity and audience connectedness. Belief congruence exhibits a stronger influence. Further, brand engagement reduces the relationship between belief congruence and connectedness. However, it strengthens the relationship between self-identity and connectedness.

Future research should address why belief congruence holds more significance than self-identification. Additionally, research must explore the societal effects of diversity advertising, including strategies to engage those who feel disconnected.

The study underscores the positive social effects of diversity advertising for both marginalized and nonmarginalized audiences. It urges marketers to pursue audience connectedness. Strategies for achieving this include reflecting their target audience’s beliefs, perhaps highlighting real and lived experiences. Marketers should also consider self-identification through visual cues and customized messaging.

The study applies self-referencing theory to unravel the relationship between diversity advertising and audience connectedness. It reinforces the role of self-identification and expands the knowledge by demonstrating how connectedness can emerge through belief congruence. Additionally, the authors explore the subtle influence of brand engagement, a critical brand-related factor that shapes individuals’ responses to diversity advertising.

This paper aims to explain how consumer persuasion knowledge and perceived deception in advertisements can influence consumers’ future evaluation of fake news about a brand.

This research develops a conceptual model using widely used persuasion knowledge theory and confirmation bias theory. A questionnaire-based online survey (n = 410) was conducted by displaying an advertisement stimulus followed by a fake news stimulus to test the model. Covariance-based structural equation modeling was used to analyze the hypothesized research model.

The results demonstrate that consumers with high persuasion knowledge are more likely to trust and adopt fake news about an advertised brand through the mediation of perceived deception in the advertisement. Additionally, perceived deception indirectly affects information adoption through the mediation of news credibility.

Theoretically, this study contributes to the existing body of literature on advertising deception and fake news. This research also extends theory of persuasion knowledge in understanding adoption of fake news. Practically, this study has significant implications for various stakeholders, including brands, social media corporations and consumers.

This research adds novel insights in the relationship of consumers’ persuasion knowledge and credibility and adoption of fake news. Furthermore, the investigation of the relationship between the perceived deception in advertising and the adoption of fake news has not been explored, which is also novel.