How does a brand's psychological distance in an advergame influence brand memory of the consumers?

Abstract Advergames are computer games through which marketers promote their brands. While many studies have explored the influence of gamification of advertising, little is known about the nature of the consumer‐brand interaction and its effect on consumers' cognitive reactions. We address this gap by conducting three experiments in which we manipulate (a) consumers' level of message construal depending upon their interactions with the brands to complete game tasks, and (b) regulatory focus (RF) (individual‐level and game‐induced). We measure the effects on consumers' brand memory and also examine the mediating role of flow experience. Different samples comprising of post‐graduate students and adults are used in the experiments. Results reveal that a low (vs. high) construal level yields stronger brand memory. Also, a fit between RF (promotion and prevention) and construal level (high and low) results in better brand memory. Flow experience mediates the effects of the independent variables on brand memory.