Truace
Subscribe
68/100

Moderate evidence

Cite
More
Export CSVExport JSONEmailLinkedInX

Online shoppers rated AI-made ads higher than human-made ones for practical products, a 275-person study finds

Study title: Artificial creativity meets consumer reality: the role of affective involvement and product type in responses to AI-generated ads

Evidence type
Controlled or validated comparison
Sample
n = 275
Sources
1 sourcePeer-reviewed
Published
2 min read
Truvace record
TRV-2026-2587cite or check it

Study title: Artificial creativity meets consumer reality: the role of affective involvement and product type in responses to AI-generated ads

Two online experiments with 275 participants recruited from Prolific compared reactions to advertisements made by AI with those made by humans. Consumers evaluated the AI-generated ads more favorably, and the gap was clearest for utilitarian products.

Read the study abstract

Purpose This study aims to investigate how consumers respond to advertisements generated by artificial intelligence (AI) versus those created by humans and explore the psychological mechanisms underlying these responses. Specifically, it examines whether affective involvement mediates the effect of advertising source on consumer attitudes and whether this effect varies by product type (utilitarian vs hedonic). Design/methodology/approach This study consists of two online experiments. A total of 275 participants…

The gain

In two online experiments with 275 participants, consumers evaluated AI-generated ads more favorably than human-generated ones, particularly for utilitarian products.

In brief

The first experiment found that the advertising source shaped attitudes through affective involvement, with people reporting greater emotional engagement with AI-generated ads. The second showed the advantage held for utilitarian products but not for hedonic ones.

The work tries to explain why and when AI ads influence consumers, after earlier research produced inconsistent findings. The results come from online experiments, so they show attitudes measured in those settings rather than sales or real-world campaign results.

Main points

  1. The research consisted of two online experiments with 275 participants recruited from Prolific.
  2. Consumers rated AI-generated ads more favorably than human-generated ones.
  3. The advantage was strongest for utilitarian products.
  4. Study 1 found the effect of ad source on attitudes ran through affective involvement, meaning emotional engagement.
  5. Study 2 found the positive effect of AI-generated ads was significant for utilitarian products but not hedonic ones.
  6. The authors say prior literature gave inconsistent findings on whether AI-generated ads are effective.

The full story

The study used mediation and moderated mediation analyses to test the psychological mechanism behind consumer responses to AI-generated versus human-generated advertising. Participants were recruited through the Prolific online platform.

Study 1 focused on affective involvement, finding that consumers felt greater emotional engagement with AI-generated ads and that this engagement helped explain their more favorable attitudes.

Study 2 added product type. The positive influence of AI-generated ads was significant for utilitarian products but not for hedonic ones, so the benefit depended on what was being advertised.

The authors position the work as shifting the question from whether AI-generated ads work to why and when they influence consumers, extending persuasion theory.

Sources

1 on file
  1. Journal of Consumer Marketingdoi:10.1108/jcm-07-2025-8108
    Peer-reviewed2026-08-17

Talk it over

Four questions to start onWho gets this benefit, and who was left out of the study or story?

Start with a question

Online shoppers rated AI-made ads higher than human-made ones for practical products, a 275-person study findshttps://truvace.com/item/artificial-creativity-meets-consumer-reality-the-role-of-affective-involvement-a

  1. Who gets this benefit, and who was left out of the study or story?

    The gain In two online experiments with 275 participants, consumers evaluated AI-generated ads more favorably than human-generated ones, particularly for utilitarian products.

    Answer in the thread

  2. How do we know? What can this kind of evidence show, and what can’t it?

    The evidence This rests on a controlled comparison with a sample of 275, from Journal of Consumer Marketing.

    Answer in the thread

  3. What does it leave open? What else would you want to know before acting on it?

    The record’s own caveat The positive effect of AI-generated ads was significant for utilitarian products but not for hedonic ones, so the finding does not apply across all product types.

    Answer in the thread

  4. Have you seen AI used this way where you study, work or live? Did it go the same way?

    Answer in the thread

The questions are the same on every record. The details under them are taken from this record as written.

What readers say

More from Lifestyle