Abstract
Virtual reality (VR) marketing is here to stay—or at least that is what is generally believed. Head-mounted display (HMD) VR hardware is rapidly becoming more accessible to the general public, and businesses have started adopting VR as an experiential marketing platform. In this study, we examine two affective mechanisms that play a role in the workings of branded VR games in an HMD VR context: (1) virtual product appeal and (2) emotional response. We conducted a between-subjects (branded VR game vs. non-branded VR game) lab experiment (N = 81) among young adults who were recruited via the university’s lab recruitment system. During the experiment, participants used HTC Vive hardware with hand-held controllers. The results show that virtual product appeal strengthens the effect of brands in VR games on brand attitude. Moreover, brands in VR games elicit emotional responses, which subsequently drive brand attitude and purchase intention.
Highlights
We considered two affective mechanisms that we expected to play a role in the workings of branded Virtual reality (VR) games: (1) virtual product appeal and (2) emotional response
In line with our expectations, we found evidence for the moderating role of virtual product appeal in the effect of playing advergames on brand attitude
We further found that the players’ emotional responses that can be attributed to the embedded brand serve as a mediator and partially explain the effectiveness of branded VR games
Summary
You are in possession though several opposing players are blocking your way to the goal. You hear the sta dium roaring in the background as you evade an opponent and move past him ... All the while focusing your gaze on the ball and your feet. From the corner of your eye, you see that the goalkeeper is poorly positioned. You take a deep breath, aim, and shoot. The stadium goes wild and you feel amazing. You see the shoes you were wearing, right in front of you—they are Nike shoes
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