Now you see me. Evaluating visual and auditory brand placement disclosures in music videos

This study investigates how different formats of brand placement disclosures influence brand recall and brand attitude in music videos. Four formats of disclosures presenting different visual characteristics (textual and pictorial vs textual only) and auditory features (brand melody vs silent) are tested. The research adopts a multimethod approach combining eye-tracking, electrodermal activity, and self-reports. Results show that disclosures including higher visual information content positively influence the awareness of embedded advertising in music videos and the attention paid to the disclosure. Brand melodies prove to be effective to increase attention to the disclosure only when paired with textual and pictorial disclosures. Further empirical evidence demonstrates the positive indirect effect of disclosures on brand recall and brand attitude. Brand placement disclosures are shown to function as primes that can enhance brand attitudes and recall. Implications for marketing communication managers and policymakers in terms of advertising fees, contractual requirements, disclosures’ design, and policy recommendations are discussed.