| Chapter 1: | Introduction |
Third, it investigates whether the presence of animated elements in banner ads leads to better encoding and storage of nonanimated elements in the ads. Banner ads generally consist of three elements: the picture, the ad claim, and the brand name. To clearly see the impact of animation, the present study will animate either the picture or the brand name for each banner ad. For example, if the picture of a banner ad is animated, the ad claim and the brand name will not be animated.
The present study also asks whether arousing pictures in banner ads enhance the effectiveness of the ads. Pictures are an indispensable element in Web banner advertisements as well as in print advertisements. They are generally used to get viewers’ attention, provide information about the brand and a product, and build a brand image (Edell & Staelin, 1983; Singh, Lessig, Kim, Gupta, & Hocutt, 2000). Although arousing pictures can be either positive or negative, this study will include only positive pictures because a positive emotional tone is prevalent in commercial advertising (Morris, 1995). This study compares three levels of arousing pictures: arousing (e.g., sexual images, mild erotica, adventure scenes, etc.), moderately arousing (e.g., sporting events, babies, etc.), and calm (e.g., flower garden, family, etc.). By differentiating the level of arousal of the picture, this study attempts to find the optimal condition to increase the effectiveness of banner ads. Next, it examines whether more arousing pictures will be better encoded and stored. In addition, it explores whether the presence of arousing pictures leads to better encoding and storage of nonpictorial ad elements such as ad claims and brand names.
In summary, the present study examines how one structural characteristic of banner ads (animation) and one content feature (arousing pictures) affect the online moment-to-moment processing of banner ads.