How Virtual Reality Can Increase Effectiveness of Prosocial Advertising
Ou Li, Zhigeng Pan, Han Qiu, Da Qian · Journal of Advertising Research · 2024
This study investigates the effectiveness of virtual reality (VR) advertising in promoting charitable donations. The results indicated that, when compared with the traditional two-dimensional format, VR advertising can increase the number of people who decide to donate, as well as the amount donated. This favorable effect was achieved through a serial mediating effect of vicarious experience and existential guilt. Additionally, the findings also identified the need for stimulation as a boundary condition, suggesting that individuals with a low (versus high) need for stimulation were not influenced by the mediating process of VR prosocial advertising on charitable donations.