New Research Disproves Creative Wear-Out Myths in Advertising

New research from Ad Net Zero Ireland challenges longstanding industry beliefs about the decline of advertising effectiveness over time. The study, titled “The Sustain/Ability Gain: How Impactful Creative Can Take You Further with Less,” reveals that strong television advertising creative can retain its effectiveness for years without significant wear-out. Conducted between January 2022 and January 2025, the analysis examined 162 TV campaigns aired in Ireland, utilizing neuroscience methods and behavioral psychology frameworks.

This research represents the first localized data on creative longevity within the Irish market. It offers essential guidance for reducing advertising’s carbon footprint while enhancing campaign effectiveness. The report is a collaboration among several trade bodies, including IAPI, AAI, MII, CPI, and IAB Ireland. It aims to reflect the sector’s commitment to addressing climate change and sustainability.

The study was developed by Havas Media, WPP Media, and Futureproof Insights, with comprehensive quantitative and qualitative data provided by Amarach. The findings offer actionable insights for advertisers, agencies, and media owners to reduce emissions from media planning and purchasing while simultaneously boosting creative effectiveness. The research aligns with the global Ad Net Zero 5-Point Action Plan, particularly focusing on reducing the carbon impact of media choices tailored to the unique needs of the Irish market.

Consistent Campaign Performance Across All Stages

The research indicates that campaign performance remained consistent throughout all lifecycle stages, from under six weeks to more than three years post-launch, with no evidence of decline. Well-crafted creative achieved stable impact scores regardless of campaign age or media exposure levels. This contradicts the common belief that high media weight leads to creative fatigue.

The study found that older campaigns, particularly in less emotional categories like utilities and public sector advertising, often matched or exceeded the performance of newer campaigns from more commercially aggressive sectors. According to the report, “The assumption that creative inevitably wears out over time or with high media weight is not supported by the evidence presented in this report.”

High Media Weight Does Not Diminish Effectiveness

Researchers tested campaigns at various media weight levels, including those exceeding 100 television ratings points per week. Traditionally, media planners avoid such high exposure levels due to concerns about wear-out. However, the data demonstrated no systematic decline in creative effectiveness at elevated exposure levels. Performance remained stable and, in some cases, improved across key outcomes such as engagement, memorization, and purchase intent.

The report stated, “High media weight does not diminish creative effectiveness; well-crafted assets thrive under scale.” This suggests that effective advertising can withstand high levels of exposure without losing its impact.

Utilizing advanced technologies like electroencephalography and eye-tracking, researchers identified essential factors driving sustained effectiveness. The study analyzed how over 600 participants processed advertising content during simulated TV viewing experiences, capturing both conscious and unconscious responses. Simpler, clearly structured creative consistently outperformed more complex executions across all key outcomes. Lower cognitive load improved attention, memorability, and behavioral outcomes, while excessive complexity hindered memory encoding and weakened behavioral responses.

Emotional resonance was also identified as crucial for effectiveness, particularly when combined with clarity and structure. Ads that successfully blended moderate to high emotional intensity with strong memorization scores and clear brand linkage delivered the most favorable outcomes.

Environmental Benefits of Creative Reuse

The findings underscore the environmental implications of reusing effective creative assets instead of producing new campaigns. This approach can extend return on investment, reduce production-related emissions, and empower media planners to support fewer, stronger assets. The practice also combats resource waste, as some creative assets are never utilized despite incurring production costs.

Jill McGrath, CEO of TAM Ireland, emphasized the sustainability benefits of this strategy in the report’s foreword, stating, “Reusing creative helps lower the overall carbon output of your brand and ensures its impact maximizes return.”

The research includes a six-point checklist for brands considering creative reuse, advising assessments of brand consistency, market relevance, performance data, legal clearances, adaptation costs, and the competitive landscape. The authors recommend brands pursue iterative updates with subtle changes to visuals, messaging, or calls to action, rather than replacing entire campaigns. The goal is to leverage existing brand equity while maintaining freshness.

Areas for Future Research

Several areas for future investigation were identified, including cross-media wear-out studies that extend beyond television to digital and social platforms. Researchers also recommended analyzing different media scheduling strategies and their impacts on creative effectiveness and carbon emissions.

The current study’s scope was limited to television due to the availability of information on TV ratings, air-time, and creative executions. By sharing these findings, Ad Net Zero Ireland aims to stimulate further discussions and research on sustainability in media.

Kerrie Patten from Havas Media outlined the research methodology, stating, “By partnering with Future Proof Insights and Amarach Research and combining neuroscience tools like EEG and Eye Tracking with large-scale behavioral psychology research, this study goes beyond self-reported measurement approaches to capture both conscious and unconscious responses to advertising.”

Chris Cashen from WPP Media urged professionals in the Irish commercial creative sector to engage with this research, noting the lack of Irish data on this topic. “We are usually asking for practices to change, but now we have validated that continuing long-term work that delivers is best for brands but also for sustainability,” he asserted.

Siobhan Masterson, CEO of IAPI, concluded that the report marks a vital step forward for the industry. “The climate crisis demands urgent action, and our sector has a central role to play in driving positive change,” she stated. By providing Irish-specific data and insights, the report equips the industry to make informed, impactful decisions, ensuring it contributes positively to sustainability efforts.