Study: Spectacular Ads Get Spectacular Recall

Eric Sass of MediaPost reports that according to a new study by Starch Communications Research "Spectacular magazine ads--including multi-page spreads, three-dimensional pop-ups, scented ads and ads with an audio component--produce a big bump in measures like brand recall and the number of readers that read ad copy."

Philip W. Sawyer, senior vice president of Starch Communications Research, says the study, heralds a new era of creativity in magazine advertising. Sawyer predicts that "when we really start exploring spectacular ads, people will pick up a magazine to see the ads." Among the case studies in Sawyer's report are two ads that scored a remarkable 100% in reader recall and engagement. The first ad, for Pepsi Jazz (also featured on this blog) was a two-page spread featuring a three-dimensional pop-up of the opened bottle, with small audio chip in the page playing jazz music. This ad also allowed readers to use a scratch-and-sniff tab to "sample" the new flavour. The second ad, for (also called first sonic ad on a few sites) pairs a three-dimensional pop-up with an audio chip.

However, the study cautions against unrealistic expectations for their effectiveness: "If you have a six-page ad, you can't expect recall or these other measures to increase sixfold. It's incremental." But if you have a magazine with a readership of 6 million, he adds, "and the number of people who recall an ad goes from 500,000 to 750,000--it's only a 50% rise, but that's a huge number of people."

Original Story Link: Study Finds Spectacular Print Ads Get Spectacular Recall
Post about Pepsi campaign: "Advertising: Pepsi Brings Smell, Sound To Print" Posted October 11 2006
Case study: Clairol Herbal Essences conditioner: First Sonic ad