Title: Gimmick estimation in video advertisements by scene analysis with interpersonal theory
Authors: Daiki Uehara; Fumiko Harada; Hiromitsu Shimakawa
Addresses: Graduate School of Information Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan ' Research Organization of Science and Technology, Ritsumeikan University, Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan ' College of Information Science and Engineering, Ritsumeikan University, Ibaraki, Osaka, Japan
Abstract: Small business owners try to advertise their products with SNS commercials of their own making to save marketing costs. However, they have seldom met a success in this trial, because an effective commercial that moves the emotions of customers is still largely dependent on the art of experts. They lack a guideline to make effective commercials for themselves. Story-telling movies are often used for commercials because sophisticated scene development would work well to achieve empathy from customers. The paper aims to identify gimmicks in story-telling commercials that effectively get empathy from the customers. Analysis of physiological reactions from persons viewing various story-telling commercials shows that their pupils and EDA respond strongly to commercials that move them. Scrutinising the biological response according to the scene development of the commercial, the paper investigates what kind of story-telling commercials are likely to appeal to customers. The study confirms scene development utilising ups and downs in interpersonal relationships works well as a gimmick. The identification of the scene development and the gimmicks in the story-telling commercials most likely to appeal to customers brings guidelines to small business marketers so that they can develop appealing commercials for themselves.
Keywords: commercial; movie; emotions; cognitive engagement; emotional engagement; behavioural engagement; physiological reactions; scene development; interpersonal theory; gimmicks.
DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2025.147548
International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising, 2025 Vol.23 No.1/2, pp.134 - 158
Received: 13 May 2023
Accepted: 08 Jan 2024
Published online: 21 Jul 2025 *