Visual narrative key to success of ad campaigns

April 22, 2024

Advertisers increasingly use storytelling to engage audiences. Visual content is key to the conversation. Understanding how one single image can convey a narrative is vital for the success of a campaign.
Now a review of 64 relevant studies (published in the Journal of Advertising) suggests that an image must narrate, act and resonate to transport viewers into its narrative.
Specific visual features have been identified that can facilitate this process. Characteristics of the storyteller, story receiver, and story settings all influence the strength of visual narrative transportation.
“This research extends narrative transportation theory to the visual domain, offering practical design principles that can be easily applied by marketing professionals,” says Olesia Nikulina from Maastricht University. “It also outlines an actionable research agenda for marketing scholars to further explore visual narrativity.”

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