Do Blurry Backgrounds Make Video Ads More Persuasive?

Can the depth of field in a video ad change how consumers process the message? In this episode, Dr. Lam An (University of Winnipeg) joins me to discuss his Journal of Advertising Research article, “The Effectiveness of Background Blurriness in Video Advertisements: How Video Background Blurriness and Construal Level Shape Consumer Perception.”

Lam explains how blurry versus clear backgrounds interact with message type. Blurry backgrounds make concrete, detail-heavy, near-term messages easier to process, while clear backgrounds align better with abstract, big-picture, future-oriented themes. Together we talk through his series of lab experiments and a field test on Meta that show how these simple production choices can significantly impact ad effectiveness. Lam also shares what this means for advertisers in practice—whether you’re promoting a limited-time deal, building long-term brand equity, or trying to stand out in a crowded feed.

Read the full paper here:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00218499.2025.2464281

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