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BOSTON (April 29, 2025) - As brands evaluate how to optimize video advertising for various platforms, a new study from Innerscope Research tests how the size and type of screen influence ad impact. The results suggest that video advertising on TV and through digital pre-roll is highly engaging, but its impact on Facebook is significantly reduced (Infographic below).

In the client commissioned study, Innerscope used biometric monitoring, eye tracking and traditional survey methods to measure the non-conscious and conscious reactions of 390 consumers ages 18 to 34. Participants were exposed to the same video advertisements across Facebook, TV and digital pre-roll on PC, tablet and smartphone. The biometric data was captured with state-of-the-art technology to record fluctuations in heart rate, skin conductance and breathing patterns. These signals comprise the measures of core emotional response, which is critical to advertisers because emotions have a strong relationship with the activation of the memory centers of the brain.

Video Ads on Facebook

Data from the study demonstrate that TV and digital pre-roll generated high attention and emotional engagement with video advertising, resulting in high brand recall and purchase intent. Facebook, while generating high emotional responses overall, presented the most distracted environment for ads. The social media platform generated over 2.5x as many “lookaways” (when viewers avoid looking at ads) compared to TV. This attention decrease negatively impacts brand recall and purchase intent.

Key findings include:

• Video ads on Facebook were 4x less engaging than video ads on TV.
• Consumers showed higher visual attention to final branding moments and brand logos on TV (likely the result of larger screen sizes) over those viewed online as pre-roll, regardless of the device.
• The impact of visual attention to the same final branding moments and logos was too low to measure on Facebook.
• In line with the biometric and eye tracking data, 47% of consumers said they immediately skip or ignore a video ad on Facebook before watching it.
• Consumers were more likely to state that they would try or buy target brands after watching the ads on TV (25%), compared to watching the ads on Facebook (9%).

Video Ads on Smaller Screens Have Challenges

Researchers also found that screen size has a significant impact on video ad effectiveness. The results suggest that video ads need to be tailored specifically to device size in order to be effective across each platform. Smaller screens, such as mobile devices and tablets, necessitate bright, bold copy and early branding moments to have higher impact.

Key findings include:

• Visual attention spent on branding moments, logos and taglines declined with screen size.
• Video ads on smaller screens (PC, tablet, and smartphone) peaked emotional engagement in the first 3-5 seconds. For effective creative, key branding and emotional pay-off should reside in these first few seconds.
• Visual attention is harder to attract on smaller screens. Bright, bold copy more effectively communicated messages in cross-device campaigns.

“Our studies continue to show that consumers bring different mindsets and expectations to various media platforms,” said Dr. Carl Marci, Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer for Innerscope Research. “With more brands turning to social media as a new avenue for video advertising, understanding this intricacy is more important than ever. These findings show that video advertisements on certain platforms are not yet resonating with consumers as well as they are on TV. It’s our hope that brands can take these learnings and apply them to help direct their future creative.”

About Innerscope Research
Innerscope Research, Inc. is the leader in integrated consumer neuroscience, delivering unprecedented understanding of consumer behavior that helps brands to build deeper connections and optimize product and communication performance. Using the latest technological advances in biometrics, neurometrics and psychometrics, which can be integrated with self-report, Innerscope measures and analyzes moment-by-moment conscious and non-conscious responses to media and packaging, providing marketers with critical insight into consumers’ decision making. Founded in 2006 by Harvard and MIT scientists, Innerscope has been recognized with ARF Innovation, Rising Star and Great Minds Awards, ESOMAR’s Best Presentation Award, and as a 2013 EXPLOR award finalist at IIR’s TMRE.

For more information, visit Innerscope on Twitter and LinkedIn.