Advertising Creative

Find the latest and most impactful research on advertising creative here. All the research listed comes from the ARF or one of its subsidiaries: The Journal of Advertising Research (JAR), the Marketing Science Institute (MSI) or the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM). Feel free to bookmark this page, as it will be updated periodically.
The Persuasive Power of Pets: New Insights for Influencer Strategy

The Persuasive Power of Pets: New Insights for Influencer Strategy

  • ARF
  • JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

A recent Journal of Advertising Research study presents the first empirical evidence that petfluencers can outperform human influencers in driving engagement and willingness to pay. Across four studies—including a real-world A/B test and controlled experiments, the researchers show that pet influencers benefit from higher perceived sincerity, and that message framing matters. When temporal cues align with consumers’ propensity to anthropomorphize animals, the persuasive impact increases further.

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Defying the Odds: What Long-Term Brand Winners Do Differently

Defying the Odds: What Long-Term Brand Winners Do Differently

  • ARF | ARF Cognition Council
  • ARF ORIGINAL RESEARCH

Based on two decades of Brand Asset Valuator (BAV) data and a complementary custom study, this ARF Cognition Council report examines why some brands maintain strength over long periods while most decline. The research identifies differentiation, consistency, cultural relevance and sustained visibility as critical drivers of long-term brand resilience in the face of market and consumer change.

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Tempo Tactics: How Fast and Slow Music Shape Consumer Responses in Video Advertising

Tempo Tactics: How Fast and Slow Music Shape Consumer Responses in Video Advertising

  • ARF
  • JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

A new Journal of Advertising Research study investigates how music tempo—a ubiquitous but understudied element in video advertising—interacts with regulatory focus to shape consumer purchase intentions. Analyzing 26,025 real-world video ads and running three controlled experiments, the researchers find that fast-tempo music significantly boosts purchase intention for promotion-focused ads, while tempo has no meaningful effect in prevention-focused ads. The mechanism is driven by time pressure and consumers’ reliance on heuristic vs. systematic processing. These findings offer actionable insights for advertisers optimizing creative strategy in short-form video environments.

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Inside the Mechanics of Effective Influencer Content

Inside the Mechanics of Effective Influencer Content

  • ARF
  • Knowledge at Hand | CMO Brief

Influencer marketing continues to grow as brands increasingly rely on creators to deliver content that drives awareness, trust and purchase behavior. This ARF Knowledge at Hand report synthesizes findings across academic research, industry studies and ARF events to identify what truly drives influencer impact—and how marketers can optimize creator partnerships for effectiveness.

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When Virtual Influencers Reveal Their Sponsors: How Disclosure Shapes Engagement with Virtual Influencers

When Virtual Influencers Reveal Their Sponsors: How Disclosure Shapes Engagement with Virtual Influencers

  • ARF
  • JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

As virtual influencers (VIs) increasingly front campaigns for major brands, how does disclosing sponsorship affect audiences? This mixed-method study analyzed over 48,000 Instagram comments. Researchers also conducted an online experiment to examine how users respond emotionally and behaviorally to sponsorship disclosure by a virtual influencer. Results reveal that disclosure can increase positive sentiment but reduce engagement, challenging long-held assumptions about persuasion knowledge in influencer marketing.

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Decoding CTAs: How Messaging and Emojis Shape Consumer Compliance

Decoding CTAs: How Messaging and Emojis Shape Consumer Compliance

  • ARF
  • JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

How do consumers respond to different calls-to-action (CTAs) in brand content? Can emojis amplify or diminish compliance? The findings in this Journal of Advertising Research study reveal that consumer-focused CTAs boost engagement more effectively than firm-focused ones, while heart emojis can counteract negative reactions and down-pointing emojis may backfire.

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Designing Emotional Arcs for More Persuasive Advertising

Designing Emotional Arcs for More Persuasive Advertising

  • ARF
  • ARF

New research in this Marketing Science Institute (MSI) working paper uncovers how specific emotional sequences—not just individual emotions—make advertising and fundraising appeals more persuasive. Analyzing over 14,000 GoFundMe medical campaigns, the study shows that messages beginning with sadness and ending with caring are the most effective. These findings provide a fresh template for designing impactful advertising narratives.

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Do Ads Really Wear Out? Evidence and Implications for Media

Do Ads Really Wear Out? Evidence and Implications for Media

  • ARF
  • ARF

Repeated ad exposure is a double-edged sword: it can help messages stick (wearin) or risk audience fatigue (wearout). This ARF Knowledge at Hand report reviews the latest evidence and finds that while true creative wearout is less common than once assumed, it can occur under specific conditions such as heavy short-term frequency or when there is poor creative quality. For advertisers, the key is knowing when repetition builds impact and when it backfires.

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