In this episode, Wei-Fen Chen (Lecturer in Marketing, University of Leicester School of Business) joins me to discuss her Journal of Advertising Research article, “When to Appeal to Cultural Capital in Advertisements: Cultural Capital Appeals Increase Purchase Intentions for High- but Not Low-Priced Products,” coauthored with Xue Wang (Assistant Professor, Business School, Beijing Normal University) and Chenyang Shao (Doctoral Student, Business School, Beijing Normal University).

Wei-Fen and I explore how invoking cultural sophistication in ads—through references to art, heritage, or refined taste—can strengthen purchase intent, but only for higher-priced products. Across three studies spanning categories from wine and bottled water to face masks, the team finds that when cultural capital cues align with economic signals, consumers process the ad more fluently and respond more positively. For low-priced products, though, these appeals backfire or fail to move the needle.

We also discuss how this research clarifies when marketers should use cultural capital storytelling, why pricing strategy matters more than demographic targeting, and how brand tiers can selectively apply these cues to premium lines.

Read the full paper here:
https://doi.org/10.1080/00218499.2025.2464291

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Do consumers respond differently to AI avatars that look human versus those that look cartoon-like? In this episode, June-Ho Chung (Inha University) and Sungjun “Steven” Park (Queen Mary University of London; National Chengchi University) join me to discuss their Journal of Advertising Research article, Designing AI Agents for New Product Endorsement: Do Human-Like or Cartoon-Like AI-Generated Endorsers Evoke More Positive Ad Engagement from Consumers? The article is co-authored with Yiting (Tami) Chu (National Chengchi University).

We talk about why human-like AI avatars tend to generate stronger engagement and positive emotions, especially when promoting new or unfamiliar products. June-Ho and Steven walk through controlled experiments that compare human-like and cartoon-style endorsers across preference, emotions, and ad engagement. We discuss why familiarity with faces can shape reactions and when a simpler, cartoon style may still fit the brief. Finally, we translate the findings into practical guidance for creative teams choosing avatar style for new product ads.

Read the full paper here:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00218499.2025.2497615

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Do big life changes make people more open to seeing the same ad again and again? In this episode, Ben Borenstein and Luke Nowlan join me to share insights from their Journal of Advertising Research article, “Life Transitions Influence Response to Ad Repetition: When Times of Change Increase Preference for Repeat Advertising Experiences,” coauthored with Tyler Milfeld.

Ben, Luke, and I talk through how moments like moving, changing jobs, or becoming a parent shift the way people respond to repeated ads. Across four experiments, they find that consumers in a life transition actually sustain enjoyment of repeated ads and form more positive brand attitudes — rather than tuning out. We also discuss why predictability feels comforting in times of change, how advertisers can spot these moments using behavioral signals, and what this means for ad frequency and targeting strategies.

Read the full paper here:
https://doi.org/10.1080/00218499.2025.2464306

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Can the way ads are scheduled change whether people watch or skip? In this episode, Dr. Mi Hyun Lee (Northwestern University) and Dr. Jaewon Royce Choi (Louisiana State University) join me to talk about their Journal of Advertising Research article, Acceptance Propensity of Pre-Roll Skippable Ads: An Analysis of Large-Scale Clickstream Data Using Dynamic Linear Models, coauthored with Su Jung Kim.

We dig into their concept of ad acceptance propensity — the underlying tendency to accept rather than skip an ad — and how it shifts depending on how ads are placed. Drawing on a dataset of 10,000 users and 36,000 ad exposures from a major video platform, they show that predictable, frequent exposures lower acceptance while irregular, spaced exposures boost it. We also talk about how their dynamic linear modeling approach lets researchers go beyond observed behavior to estimate hidden states, why this matters for both scholars and practitioners, and how advertisers can rethink reach and frequency.

Read the full paper here:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00218499.2025.2464294

Listen to the podcast here:
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And watch this and more content on our YouTube page:
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Can the depth of field in a video ad change how consumers process the message? In this episode, Dr. Lam An (University of Winnipeg) joins me to discuss his Journal of Advertising Research article, “The Effectiveness of Background Blurriness in Video Advertisements: How Video Background Blurriness and Construal Level Shape Consumer Perception.”

Lam explains how blurry versus clear backgrounds interact with message type. Blurry backgrounds make concrete, detail-heavy, near-term messages easier to process, while clear backgrounds align better with abstract, big-picture, future-oriented themes. Together we talk through his series of lab experiments and a field test on Meta that show how these simple production choices can significantly impact ad effectiveness. Lam also shares what this means for advertisers in practice—whether you’re promoting a limited-time deal, building long-term brand equity, or trying to stand out in a crowded feed.

Read the full paper here:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00218499.2025.2464281

Listen to the podcast here:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2250188

And watch this and more content on our YouTube page:
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When a movie rolls out in stages, how do you decide where the ad dollars go first week in theaters, later weeks, discs and TVOD, then streaming? In this episode, Prof. Sönke Albers walks me through his Journal of Advertising Research article, “Optimal Rules for Advertising Budget Allocation Across Movie Versions Marketed in Sequential Distribution Stages.”

Sönke explains a simple, Excel-friendly rule that accounts for both stage size and long-term ad elasticity, plus the carryover and spillover that early ads create for later stages. The takeaway is clear: when there are meaningful carryover effects, front-loading spend early typically pays twice, but you still need to weight each stage by its expected profit and responsiveness. He also shows how the cascading structure scales to any number of release stages and why optimizing real profit beats rules that only look at elasticities.

We talk practicals for studios and any brand with staggered launches books, games, product lines and why getting decent elasticity estimates can materially improve outcomes.

Read the full paper here:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00218499.2025.2464282

Listen to the podcast here:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2250188

And watch this and more content on our YouTube page:
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How is generative AI changing the creative process inside agencies? In this episode, Carla Ferraro, Sean Sands, and Vlad Demsar join me to unpack insights from their Journal of Advertising Research article, “Harmony or Discord? The Intersection of Generative AI and Human Creativity in Advertising,” coauthored with Andrew Kohn.

We talk about what senior agency leaders are actually doing with GenAI right now, where it reliably speeds up ideation, testing, and production, and where human guidance is still essential. The team shares why originality, ethics, and over-reliance on historical data remain real concerns, plus practical guardrails around brand fit, copyright, and data privacy. We also get into training and transparency, how teams can treat AI as a creative partner rather than a replacement, and smart next steps for research on consumer reactions and team workflows.

Read the full paper here:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00218499.2025.2464305

Listen to the podcast here:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2250188

And watch this and more content on our YouTube page:
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Does calling out AI in your creative spark conversation or scare people off? In this episode, Sara Hanson, Jeffrey Carlson, and Heather Pressler unpack their Journal of Advertising Research article, “The Differential Impact of AI Salience on Advertising Engagement and Attitude: Scary Good AI Advertising.”

We dig into AI salience, meaning how obvious it is that AI made the ad through disclosures or clearly AI-looking imagery. Across four studies, they find a split effect. AI-salient ads boost engagement like more likes and longer comments, but they also trigger fear and reactance that lower ad attitudes and can dampen conversion intent. The team talks about how to handle disclosures, where AI fits along the funnel, and why finding the right balance is key.

Read the full paper here:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00218499.2025.2464307

Listen to the podcast here:
https://www.buzzsprout.com/2250188

And watch this and more content on our YouTube page:
https://www.youtube.com/@journalofadvertisingresearch

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