Advertising Creative

• Creative & Branded Content
• Article

The Power of a Word: Measuring the Real Impact of Language in Marketing

• ARF

How much impact can a single word have in a marketing message? A new study introduces a cutting-edge causal inference framework using language models to quantify the exact influence of words—such as “you” or “thank you”—on consumer engagement. The findings show that traditional A/B tests often miss these nuanced effects, while this new method isolates true word-level causal impacts, with big implications for advertising and fundraising success.

• Targets & Segments
• Article

Brand Strategy in Uncertain Times: How to Build Trust and Relevance

• ARF
• Knowledge at Hand

When the world is thrust into turbulent times, understanding how consumers respond to uncertainty is essential for brand resilience. This report from the ARF explores enduring behavioral patterns, recent shifts in consumer expectations and actionable strategies for marketers to sustain trust and relevance in volatile times.

• Audience & Media Measurement
• Article

Revisit Erwin Ephron's Enduring Lessons for Media and Marketing in this eBook

• ARF

This eBook tribute to Erwin Ephron, compiled by the ARF, revives over 150 of his iconic newsletters—each reinterpreted through a modern lens using AI. Known as the “father of recency theory,” Erwin championed simple truths in media and advertising, transforming industry paradigms. His timeless observations, from reach versus frequency to engagement confusion, remain strikingly relevant in today’s digital, data-heavy marketing landscape.

• Creative & Branded Content
• Article

Designing with Machines: A Co-Creative Model for Generative AI in Advertising Agencies

• ARF
• Journal of Advertising Research

A new study uncovers how advertising agencies are attempting to integrate generative AI into their creative workflows, and the repercussions of that process. Based on interviews and field data, the research presents a four-phase model—readiness, co-creativity, validation and execution. Although the study reveals certain anxieties surrounding this integration, in the end both human and AI elements together are required to boost and enliven the creative process.

• Creative & Branded Content
• Article

Savoring Success: Creative Strategies That Make Food and Beverage Ads Work

• JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

Digital marketing’s fast pace allows for unprecedented testing of what drives ad success. This study combines human coding and machine learning across over 2,300 food, beverage and restaurant video ads, to reveal how sensory cues like “crunch sounds” and human interaction can significantly boost brand awareness, consideration and purchase intent—while some commonly used tactics, surprisingly, fall flat.

• Targets & Segments
• Article

Learn the Effects of Using a Dialect in Text Ads on Advertisement Recall

• JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

This study explores how dialect wording in advertisements can enhance consumer recall and deepen brand connections. By examining six studies conducted in China, the research demonstrates that dialect advertisements evoke a stronger feeling of groundedness, leading to better recall compared to standard Mandarin ads. The findings are supported by both adjusted recognition scores and eye-tracking data. The study also identifies boundary conditions such as bicultural identity integration, traveler versus settler orientation, and brand characteristics (warm versus competent) that influence the effectiveness of dialect advertising. These insights provide valuable guidance for marketers in choosing the appropriate advertising language to enhance consumer engagement and memory.

• Targets & Segments
• Article

Cause-Related Marketing Messages that are Customer-Centric have Greater Impact

• JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

This study explores the effectiveness of cause-related marketing and how brands can enhance consumer trust by attributing their charitable actions to customers rather than the brand itself. The research shows that when brands share the credit for good deeds with their customers, it reduces perceptions of bragging and increases brand trust. This beneficial effect is particularly significant for brands with high integrity.

The findings are based on three studies involving American adults, which demonstrate that attributing donations to customers (versus the brand) reduces perceived bragging and increases donation intentions and brand trust. The study highlights the importance of brand integrity in moderating these effects.

• Creative & Branded Content
• Article

Circular Economy Framing Increases the Effectiveness of Sustainability Claims

This study explores how circular economy framing can enhance the effectiveness of sustainability claims by making them more concrete and understandable for consumers. The research suggests that using circular economy metaphors can reduce the perceived abstractness of sustainability claims, thereby increasing consumers' willingness to purchase sustainable products. The study conducted three experiments to test this hypothesis and found that circular economy framing significantly improves the concreteness of sustainability messages and boosts consumer engagement with sustainable products. The findings offer valuable insights for marketers and advertisers on how to frame sustainability claims to enhance their effectiveness. By leveraging the circular economy concept, businesses can make their sustainability messages more relatable and compelling, ultimately driving a higher adoption of sustainable products.

• Targets & Segments
• Article

How the Deliberate Use of Slurs Impacts Prosocial Advertising

• JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

When a slur is used, people hear it. Usually, it is either morally wrong or used in a negative way. However, certain nonprofit organizations have turned these words into tools to grab attention in provocative prosocial advertising campaigns. This study examines how such sexist and homophobic slurs can influence consumer engagement and cognitive elaboration. The findings suggest that advertisements containing offensive language can increase the perceived importance of the issue and motivate individuals to seek help or register for training sessions. However, the effectiveness of such advertisements depends on the audience's prior exposure to sexism or homophobia and their perception of the issue's importance.

The study also highlights the potential risks and benefits of using offensive language in social marketing. While offensive advertisements can capture attention and provoke thought, they may also alienate certain audiences. Social marketers should carefully consider their target audience and the context in which offensive language is used to maximize the positive impact of their campaigns.

• Creative & Branded Content
• Article

Using “Containing Language” Effectively Boosts Price Communications Effectiveness

• JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING RESEARCH

This study explores the impact of using "containing language" in advertisements on perceived offer fairness and consumer behavior. Identifying useful phrases like "That's it!" and "Period!" can reduce perceived price complexity and enhance perceived offer fairness, leading to higher purchase intentions, the researchers conclude. These findings suggest that marketers can use such language to communicate prices more effectively and responsibly.

The study involved multiple experiments and a large-scale field study, demonstrating that containing language can positively influence consumer perceptions and responses. The research provides valuable insights for marketing practitioners on how to design advertisements that improve consumer trust and engagement.