Research firm System1 and measurement company TVision discovered that TV ads that feed the “right brain” – say, by using defined characters, locations, and storylines – deliver the strongest levels of consumer attention and emotion.
While that outcome may be expected in the big-screen, lean-back world of TV, the digital space often is perceived to be less hospitable to this type of advertising. Instead, it is assumed, left-brain online ads that feature quick cuts, minimal story and are product-centric will perform better given the fleeting nature of consumer attention.
But Orlando Wood, System1’s chief innovation officer, told...