Are Concave Ads More Persuasive? The Role of Immersion

Abstract

Many print ads are not on flat surfaces but rounded ones. For example, billboards, which are flat, are common examples of advertising, but there are also ads on telephone poles, which are curved. Even modern computer and television monitors are increasingly available in curved, not flat, surfaces, meaning that online ads in the future are more and more likely to be shown on curved surfaces. Do recipients process flat and curved ads similarly? In this research, we investigate the persuasiveness of concave-shaped compared to convex-shaped as well as flat ads. We report that concave-shaped ads—whose sides are curved inward toward viewers—are more persuasive by facilitating viewers’ immersion into the ad. In Experiment 1, we find that immersion mediates the effect of curved ad shapes on purchase intentions. In Experiment 2, curved ad shapes moderate purchase intentions, again offering evidence of immersion as a likely mechanism. Experiment 3 shows that consumers’ skepticism serves as a boundary condition: High levels of skepticism dampen the persuasiveness of concave ads by restricting immersion. These findings are the first to explore how ads of different shapes influence consumers. Theoretical and practical contributions are discussed.