Impairment effects of creative ads on brand recall for other ads

Purpose – The creativity-based facilitation effect, well documented by previous research, shows that creative advertisements (ads) are more memorable than regular (or less creative) ads; that is, creativity facilitates memory. This current research extends our understanding by investigating the impact of creativity on regular ads and competitive advertising. It examines whether creative ads impair the memorability of regular ads to determine whether a “creativity-based impairment effect” exists. Design/methodology/approach – Three experiments were conducted. Experiment 1 tested creativity-based impairment effects in brand recall. Experiment 2 replicated and validated the impairment effect in recall, using a different presentation order of ads. In Experiment 3, effects of creative ads on competing vs. non-competing brands were examined. Findings – Results found that: (1) creative ads impaired the brand recall of regular ads, (2) creative ads impaired the recall of competing brands more than non-competing brands, and (3) creative ads were recalled earlier in top-of-mind recall positions. Research limitations – Future research may look at whether (1) different memory measures (e.g., recognition) (2) different proportions of creative ads, and (3) ads of familiar vs unfamiliar brands produce differential impairment effects. Originality/value – This research makes an important theoretical contribution as the first to explore impairment effects in the context of creative advertising. In doing so, it offers important managerial insights for regular and competitive advertising.