The impact of creativity in social AR filters on brand awareness, image, and behavioral intentions: The role of intrusiveness and Ad recognition

Brands use Augmented Reality (AR) technologies in their marketing strategies. Among the AR applications, social AR filters enable brands to build new connections with customers on an intimate level, creating valuable experiences on social media and fostering consumers' storytelling. This research examines the effects of creativity of branded social AR filters, a key feature for the success of entertainment products, on users' responses toward brands. The results from an online questionnaire indicate that perceived originality and enjoyment elicit positive cognitive (awareness) and affective (image) reactions toward brands, which subsequently influence behavioral intentions. Additionally, we analyze the moderating role of brand intrusiveness and ad recognition, which can lessen and reinforce the positive effects of creativity on brand responses. Our findings contribute to the theoretical development of user experiences with branded social AR filters and provide recommendations for brand managers to design creative AR filter experiences that foster effective customer-brand connections.