Creativity and Memory Effects: Recall, Recognition, and an Exploration of Nontraditional Media

Abstract

Using a combination of exploratory and traditional approaches, we replicate and extend previous research on creativity and memory effects. The first study examines creativity's effect on advertising recall using two nontraditional media: airport terminal and preshow cinema advertising. Results suggest that differences in how consumers interact with nontraditional media influence the effect of advertising creativity on memory. For cinema advertising, where media consumption is similar to traditional media, creativity enhanced recall. For airport advertising, where media consumption often occurs when consumers are in a distracted state, creativity had no effect. The second study continues this investigation of exposure context and extends previous creativity research by investigating the recognition dependent variable in a forcedexposure context. Recognition is measured at four time-delay intervals: no delay and delays of one-week, three-weeks, and five-weeks. Creative advertising was found to enhance recognition, and this positive effect increased over time.