Study: 3D Ads More Effective, Programs More Enjoyable Than Standard Fare

Among the movies coming in 3D from ESPN's parent compeny, Disney, is 'Tangled,' which eventually might be shown in 3D on TV.November 5, 2010: The young but burgeoning category of 3D TV has received a strong marketing vote of approval from a biased, yet influential, source. According to a study from ESPN Research + Analytics, 3D TV ads can be more effective than standard commercials,  there is a higher level of viewer enjoyment and engagement with 3D telecasts and there were no adverse effects on depth perception (stereopsis) among the people who participated in the study.

The research was conducted by Dr. Duane Varan, professor of New Media at Murdoch University, during ESPN’s coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup at the Disney Media and Ad Lab in Austin, Texas.

ESPN recently launched a 3D network and has been a major proponent of sports and entertainment programming in 3D. Parent company Disney also has a major stake in the future of 3D. The entertainment giant already has released in 3D such movies as Toy Story 3 and Step Up, with upcoming 3D Disney movies including Tangled and Tron:Legacy.

ESPN launched its 3D network to coincide with the 2010 World Cup, and has on its scheduled events including college football’s ACC Championship (Dec. 4), college basketball's Jimmy V Classic (Dec. 7), the 2011 BCS National Championship game (Jan. 10, 2011), the Winter X Games (Jan. 27-30, 2011) and college basketball’s Big East Tournament (March 8-12, 2011).

Several companies have aired commercials in 3D, including VIsa and Gillette, but the bulk of 3D spots currently are from the movie studios supporting their films. The NFL, NBA, MLB and Nascar are among the major sports entities that have had 3D events telecast. During Super Bowl XLIII in 2009, DreamWorks and PepsiCo's SoBe ran a 90-second spot for the movie studio's then upcoming animated release, Monsters vs. Aliens.

“The results from this comprehensive research project support what we have said time and time again: fans have a higher level of enjoyment when viewing 3D," Artie Bulgrin, svp- ESPN Research + Analytics, said in a statement. "Plus, for advertisers, this study provides good news on the level of fan engagement when viewing 3D ads."

Among the key findings:
• When showed the same ads in 2D and 3D, 3D ads produced significantly higher scores among participants across all ad performance metrics, generally maintaining a higher level of arousal than the 2D counterpart.
• Participants showed better recall of the ad in 3D:
• Cued recall went from 68% to 83%
• On average, purchase intent increased from 49% to 83%
• Ad liking went from 67% to 84%
 
Overall, results of the study showed a higher level of viewer enjoyment, engagement with the telecast and a stronger sense of presence with the 3D telecasts; and enjoyment increased from 65% to 70% in 3D while presence went from 42% to 69%.

According to ESPN, the research employed an experimental design approach including the use of perception analyzers, eye gaze and electrodermal activity.  The study focused on a multitude of topics including overall viewing enjoyment, fatigue and novelty effects, technology differences, production issues and advertising impact.  In all over 700 measures were processed during the testing.  The Ad Lab used five different 3D manufacturers in its testing.

“This study will help us continue to develop ESPN 3D as an industry leader for event-based 3D viewing," said Bulgrin.

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