Superimposed text size and contrast effects in direct-to-consumer television advertising: Which presentation format is best for Rx drug messaging to consumers?

Peyton N. Williams; Bridget J. Kelly; Ryan Scott Paquin; Mihaela Johnson; Alyssa Marie Jordan; Christine Noella Davis; Ryan Scott Paquin; Amie O'Donoghue; Bridget J. Kelly; Kevin R. Betts; Mihaela Johnson; Christine Noella Davis; Alyssa Jordan; Peyton N. Williams

Superimposed text size and contrast effects in direct-to-consumer television advertising

Which presentation format is best for Rx drug messaging to consumers?

Paquin, R. S., O'Donoghue, A., Kelly, B. J., Betts, K. R., Johnson, M., Davis, C. N., Jordan, A., & Williams, P. N. (2021). Superimposed text size and contrast effects in direct-to-consumer television advertising: Which presentation format is best for Rx drug messaging to consumers? Journal of Advertising Research, 61(2), 178-191. Article JAR-2020-021. https://doi.org/10.2501/jar-2020-021

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Abstract

Direct-to-consumer prescription-drug television advertisements often contain superimposed text (supers) to convey information about the advertised product. This randomized experiment examined three size levels of supers and two levels of background contrast in direct-to-consumer advertisements. Participants (N = 1,272) watched different versions of a television advertisement for a fictitious asthma drug on either a flat-screen television or a tablet computer. Larger supers were more noticeable and memorable than smaller supers. High-contrast supers were less noticeable. Tablet users had more favorable views of the advertisement. Results have implications for the communication of important medical information in direct-to-consumer advertisements.