Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) is gaining mainstream attention, but little is known about the effects of VR advertising (VR ad). This study examined 360-degree video-based advertising, which presented an entire view of the scene and allowed users to pan around the view interactively. In particular, the study sought to answer the following questions: (a) does the effect of VR ad vary when it is viewed with different media devices?; (b) what is the effect of virtual representation of the self (VRS) in VR ad?; and (c) does self-presence mediate the association between VRS and the user’s experience with an advertised brand? An experiment (N = 203) was conducted using a 2 (VRS: present vs. absent) × 3 (media devices: smartphone vs. computer vs. head-mounted display) between-subjects design. Primary findings indicate that absence of VRS in VR ad had positive effects on users’ liking the ad and favorable attitude toward the advertised brand. Self-presence was found to be a significant mediator that explains why absence of VRS led to favorable experiences. The study did not find any significant difference on VR ad experiences across media devices. Theoretical and practical implications of VR ad were discussed.

摘要

虚拟现实 (VR) 正在获得主流关注，但人们对 VR 广告 (VR ad) 的影响知之甚少。这项研究检查了基于 360 度视频的广告，它呈现了整个场景，并允许用户以交互方式平移视图。特别是，该研究试图回答以下问题：(a) VR 广告在使用不同媒体设备观看时的效果是否有所不同？(b) VR 广告中虚拟自我表现 (VRS) 的效果是什么？(c) 自我存在是否会调节 VRS 与用户对广告品牌的体验之间的关联？一个实验（N = 203) 使用 2（VRS：存在与不存在）×3（媒体设备：智能手机与计算机与头戴式显示器）之间的受试者设计进行。主要发现表明，VR 广告中没有 VRS 对用户喜欢广告和对广告品牌的好感有积极影响。发现自我存在是一个重要的中介，可以解释为什么没有 VRS 会导致良好的体验。该研究没有发现跨媒体设备的 VR 广告体验有任何显着差异。讨论了 VR 广告的理论和实践意义。