Creativity in advertising: the roles of implicit theory and AI

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) such as ChatGPT have recently attracted significant scholarly and practical attention due to its transformative potential in supporting human tasks, particularly in advertising and marketing fields where communication skills are critical to deliver effective marketing communications. Despite this, the use of AI and its impact on advertising practitioners has yet to be systematically explored. This study investigates the effects of AI on advertising agents’ creative performance and psychological empowerment through two sequential behavioral experiments. And a further study also demonstrated that viewers displayed a more favorable attitude toward the AI-assisted creative work. Drawing on the Implicit Theory, Dual Pathway to Creativity Model, Creative Cognition Theory, and the Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions, the study hypothesizes a synergistic interaction between generative-AI intervention and incremental theorists of implicit theory in enhancing creative outcomes. The results of two sequential experiments indicated a positive combinatory effect, demonstrating that incremental theorists, in contrast to entity theorists, exhibit higher levels of fluency and flexibility in creative performance when supported by AI. Notably, this effect does not extend to the original dimensions of creativity. Additionally, the observed synergistic effect influences psychological empowerment, mediated by enhancement of creative performance. This research contributes to the literature by providing empirical evidence of AI-augmented creativity in advertising and marketing, while bridging established creativity theories with this emerging phenomenon. Additionally, it offers practical insights for practitioners and managers aiming to foster incremental innovation within their organizations.