Screenforce Study: Emotional Advertising as an Impact Booster
How many and what kinds of emotions does advertising need to be truly effective? A new study by Screenforce and eye square provides precise answers for the first time—based on AI-powered facial analyses and more than 10,000 ad exposures.
Rethinking Emotional Advertising
What exactly happens on a person’s face when they watch a commercial—and how does that affect memory, liking, and purchase intent? These questions are at the heart of the new study «Follow the Feelings—Emotional Advertising as an Impact Booster» by Screenforce and the research institute eye square. For the first time, the study focuses on the power of emotional appeal—with a level of precision that was previously unattainable.
The system uses the AI-powered measurement method Hume AI, which analyzes facial images of individuals while they are consuming media and advertisements. The system detects highly nuanced facial expressions and microexpressions and can distinguish between 48 different emotional nuances—ranging from joy to nostalgia to empathy.
Methodology: Reanalysis of over 10,000 advertising exposures
The study is based on a comprehensive analysis of two existing Screenforce studies: «Track the Success» from 2021 and «Mapping the Impact» from 2023. Both studies provided datasets containing more than 10,000 advertising exposures, including facial images that could not be analyzed in such detail during the original survey. The focus of these previous studies was on attention; emotions were only touched upon. The new study fills this gap.
The right balance of emotions is what matters
A key finding: It’s not just a matter of how many emotions are triggered, but which ones. Too few emotions quickly become boring; too many confuse viewers and overwhelm them. The optimal number is around 22 emotions triggered per ad exposure.
Emotions stemming from what is known as the «interest factor»—including interest, fascination, admiration, and appreciation—have a particularly strong impact on ad recall and purchase intent. Negative emotions such as shame or guilt, on the other hand, should be avoided at all costs: they cause people to view advertisements for a shorter time and remember them less well afterward. The link between negative emotions and reduced viewing time can be clearly demonstrated statistically.
TV offers the best platform for emotional advertising
A comparison of media channels shows that TV offers a particularly effective platform for emotional advertising. On TV, positive emotions have the strongest effect on unaided ad recall and purchase intent. They are particularly effective on the big screen—in a relaxed, “lean-back” setting. Attention metrics also favor linear and broadcast-based formats: For TV, the median viewing duration per ad exposure was 15.0 seconds; for BVOD (Broadcaster Video on Demand), it was 19.8 seconds—compared to 7.4 seconds on YouTube, 1.9 seconds on Instagram, and 2.0 seconds on TikTok.
Spontaneous ad recall reflects these trends: 13 percent of TV exposures were recalled correctly, while for BVOD the figure was 20 percent—compared to just 1 percent for Instagram and 3 percent for TikTok.
Creative stylistic devices as targeted emotional boosters
The study also provides specific recommendations for creative design. Strong audio branding serves as an emotion booster: A well-known song measurably increases feelings such as joy, excitement, amusement, and ecstasy. Brand-specific songs also foster positive emotions like joy, satisfaction, and love, while simultaneously reducing anxiety and distress.
Storytelling fosters emotional engagement, with likable protagonists having an enormous impact: admiration increases by 11 percent, and satisfaction by 10 percent. Humor works across all levels and significantly increases joy, amusement, excitement, and love, while reducing shame and pain. Sustainability communication triggers surprisingly strong positive emotions—joy increases by ten percent, and excitement by nine percent.
Not every emotional approach is suitable for every usage situation. The analysis shows that the time slots «Work is Done» (end of the workday) and prime time (6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.) offer the best conditions for emotional advertising. During the day—when there are more distractions—and late at night, emotional commercials have a harder time making an impact.
Emotional Advertising as a Strategic Priority
Malte Hildebrandt, CEO of Screenforce, summarizes the study’s key finding as follows: «Emotions should be at the heart of every campaign: They capture attention, foster positive associations, and enhance a brand’s significance at the very moment consumers are ready to buy.»
The study thus also confirms the widely cited findings of advertising researcher Peter Field («The Extraordinary Cost of Dull»). Field describes what he calls the «Tedium Tax»: To achieve the same impact with a boring campaign as with an emotionally compelling one, a significantly higher media budget is required.
The study «Follow the Feelings – Emotional Advertising as an Impact Booster» is available for download in the Research section of Screenforce: https://www.screenforce.de
