Member Only Access
Summary
Advertisers frequently feature both products and human models in print and digital campaigns—but how large each element appears relative to the other can significantly influence consumer responses. This Journal of Advertising Research study shows that the effectiveness of this visual design choice depends on product type. Across a field experiment and multiple online studies, the researchers find that hedonic products perform better when the model is larger than the product, while utilitarian products benefit when the product itself is larger than the model. The reason: these pairings create greater conceptual fluency for consumers, making the advertisement feel more cognitively “right” and leading to stronger product evaluations and purchase intentions.
