CHILDREN'S RECALL OF TELEVISION AD ELEMENTS: An Examination of Audiovisual Effects

This study examined children's recall and recognition of ad content contained in the audio and video modalities of television commercials. An experiment was conducted with first and fourth graders who were exposed to a 60-second ad with a story-line format. The ad featured typical aspects of ads targeting youngsters, including animated creatures, role transformations, and loud music, among other production techniques. Results support the supremacy of the audiovisual nature of television in conveying information to children. Age differences between the two groups of children were evident. Suggestions for future research are offered.