The effectiveness of immersive media in promoting consumer Products: Augmented vs. virtual reality

The study investigates the conditions that influence the effectiveness of immersive media in promoting consumer products. Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies create virtual experiences that vary in their levels of realism. According to construal level theory, these differences can affect users’ psychological distance and, thus, their construal levels when viewing ads created using these immersive technologies. This study expands the application of construal level theory by proposing that when immersive media type and advertising appeal are construal congruent, product attitude and purchase intention are enhanced through processing fluency. The experimental study results confirm that AR outperforms VR when rational appeals are used, whereas VR is more effective with emotional appeals. In addition, product involvement moderates the matching effect between immersive media types and advertising appeals: high product involvement strengthens the matching effect between AR media and rational appeals, while low product involvement amplifies the matching effect between VR media and emotional appeals. Corresponding theoretical and managerial implications are provided.