Presentation Schedule
Shedding Light on Persuasion: The Influence of Spokesperson Facial Lighting Ratio on Print Ad Effectiveness (100664)
Tuesday, 4 November 2025 16:15
Session: MediAsia Poster Session
Room: Atrium (1F)
Presentation Type:Poster Presentation
With the advancement of modern society and media technology, advertising has become a crucial factor influencing consumer behavior. Design elements in print advertisements have been widely demonstrated to significantly affect advertising effectiveness. Among these, featuring a spokesperson in print ads is common practice, and the facial lighting ratio—the contrast between light and shadow on the face—plays a critical role in shaping the spokesperson’s image. Yet, its impact on consumer responses remains understudied. This research investigates how a spokesperson’s facial lighting ratio affects ad attitude and purchase intention, with narrative transportation and mystery serving as mediators, and gaze direction and product type as moderators. Two experiments reveal: (1) A high lighting ratio enhances narrative transportation, boosting ad attitude and purchase intention; (2) Mystery mediates the effect of lighting ratio on narrative transportation; (3) When the spokesperson averts gaze, a sequential mediation pathway from lighting ratio to ad effectiveness emerges; (4) For hedonic products, high lighting ratios enhance ad effectiveness via narrative transportation; (5) For utilitarian products, low lighting ratios improve ad effectiveness by enhancing the feeling of rightness. The findings of this study contribute to interdisciplinary discussions across photography, lighting design, spokesperson imagery, mystery, narrative processing, and construal level theory. Practically, this research offers valuable insights for advertising professionals seeking to enhance ad effectiveness by leveraging narrative transportation mechanisms. It also enables consumers to develop more acute awareness and critical judgment when engaging with advertisements and making product decisions.
Authors:
Hsuan-Yi Chou, National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan
Jhao-Siang Chang, National Sun Yat-sen University, Taiwan
About the Presenter(s)
Professor Hsuan-Yi Chou is currently at National Sun Yat-sen University in Taiwan
See this presentation on the full schedule – Tuesday Schedule
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