2D advertising in 3D virtual spaces

Abstract

2D advertising in VR is more effective than in the classic banner ad format, our study confirms that ads in VR evoke better memory, namely more participants remembered the advertisement displayed in VR than the web-based ad. Advertising in virtual realities does not have to mean a virtual space exclusively dedicated to the promoted product. It can be a 2D ad inserted in the virtual space. It differs from the classic web-based ads, as it is not inserted in the content of a webpage, but stands alone in a virtual space. In this paper, we show a comparison of the classic banner ads, and 2D ads placed in a 3D virtual world. The effectiveness of the VR advertisement is higher than the classic web-based ads. In our experiment 22 people were involved. As the virtual space, we used the MaxWhere virtual platform, where the participant’s task was to read four online articles. In one condition four banner ads were placed on each webpage, in the other condition, the advertisement was placed in the virtual space. Then, they answered questions about the article and the advertisement.