Advertising Creativity Matters

Could “wasteful” advertising creativity that does not add to the functionality of the advertisement (i.e., it neither enhances recall and liking of the advertising, nor increases comprehension and persuasiveness of the communicated message) be useful? An experimental study shows that it can.

Advertising Creativity Matters

Micael Dahlén, Sara Rosengren and Fredrik TörnStockholm School of Economics

INTRODUCTION

There is no guarantee that creativity in an advertisement makes it more memorable or appealing to consumers (Kover, Goldberg, and James, 1995). In fact, research by, for example, Kover, James, and Sonner (1997) suggests that many creative advertising efforts may be wasted, in the sense that they do not add to the functionality of the advertisement (i.e., they neither enhance consumer recall and liking of the advertising, nor increase comprehension and persuasiveness of the communicated message). However, this article argues that...

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