Visual Metaphors in Ads: The Inverted-U Effects of Incongruity on Processing Pleasure and Ad Effectiveness

Ads with visual metaphors are commonplace in advertising, but are characterized by varying degrees of incongruity. Across two experiments, this article presents the first empirical evidence that incongruity in a visual metaphor (VM) ad has an inverted-U (nonlinear) effect on attitude toward the ad. We find that a moderate level of incongruity in a VM ad produces maximal processing pleasure, which in turn yields the most positive attitude toward the ad. The findings confirm that processing pleasure mediates the effects of incongruity on ad attitude. Consequently, when creating ads, advertisers should choose advertising elements to obtain moderate levels of incongruity in the visual figures.