The view from above: Examining how drone video ads elicit favorable viewer responses

Marketers are increasingly adopting drone videos to advertise their products and services in a novel and engaging manner. Despite this increasing adoption, academic research on the use of drone videos for product advertising is scarce. Particularly lacking is evidence of the efficacy of drone video ads in eliciting favorable viewer responses. This study seeks to fill this gap in the literature by developing a model in which exposure to a drone video ad enhances viewers’ perceived presence and perceived novelty of the drone video ad. In turn, viewers’ perceived presence and perceived novelty of the drone video ad are hypothesized to contribute to a favorable attitude toward the brand and greater intention to share the drone video ad on social media through a favorable attitude toward the drone video ad. To test the proposed model, a sample of viewers were directed to watch a drone video ad and answered questions about the drone video ad, the advertised brand, and their intention to share the drone video ad on social media. The findings contribute to the literature by documenting the effectiveness of drone video ads in eliciting favorable viewer responses and elucidating the theoretical mechanisms by which these responses are elicited.