Consumers’ attitudes on advertising in 2025

Advertising plays a critical role in driving sales and building and maintaining a brand identity. But consumers are exposed to an increasingly growing number of ads each day, so standing out in this environment is tougher than ever.

To help you understand what consumers are feeling about advertising today, we surveyed a national representative sample of 1,000 US consumers on the Zappi platform to explore consumer preferences and perceptions related to various elements commonly used in advertising. 

Read on for the 7 key findings we uncovered. 

Overall, consumers have diverse reactions to advertising. 

Many find it useful for discovering new products and staying informed, which we’ll get more into later, especially when ads are creative or funny. However, others express frustration over the annoyance, repetition and irrelevance of ads, with some consumers sharing: 

• “I'm not a fan of advertising because I normally don't use anything they put on tv. How many cars can you buy? One is plenty. The junk food, and I do like it but not on every station, all the time. I get really tired of them. They don't target me anyway.”

• “Too many of the same ads over and over again. Usually don't mind the idea of advertising, but seeing the same four ads in success is annoying and I usually mute the tv now when ads come on, making them less memorable.”

• “Advertising is all about exposing brands and services to the public. I enjoy learning more about new things and experiences that could be relevant to me. Sometimes social media advertising could be pretty invasive, however. I mostly enjoy radio advertising.”

While some appreciate the entertainment value, many criticize advertising’s intrusiveness and the overwhelming number of ads across platforms.

That said, almost half of Americans say they do enjoy advertising overall. Those aged 18 to 55 generally appreciate it more than older individuals. Among younger Americans, those aged 18 to 25 tend to dislike it more than those aged 26 to 35.

They’re also paying attention to ads. About three in four Americans pay attention to advertisements, while roughly one in five rarely notice them. And engagement is higher among younger adults under 45 and men, while attention drops significantly for those aged 56 to 75. 

While opinions are mixed, advertising is still noted to drive behavior change, with 3 out of 4 Americans stating that advertising influences their purchasing choices. 

Many Americans note that they have changed their attitude after seeing an ad they liked, even if only occasionally — highlighting the power of advertising is still strong, with younger audiences and enthusiasts more likely to shift their behavior.

And what about brand perception? Today, advertisements tend to have a positive or neutral effect on brand perception, with few Americans viewing them negatively. Younger people, men and ad enthusiasts are more likely to feel positively influenced, while older audiences often report little to no impact.

That said, advertising remains a strong connection for many, especially ad enthusiasts.

So what elements of advertising do consumers like most today? The answer is threefold:

1. Ads that inform, introduce new products, or offer useful deals are better received. 

2. Ads that have clever storytelling, strong visuals and brand clarity are also well received. 

3. Ads that include humor, creativity and relatable content enhance enjoyment.

Let’s go through each one in more detail. 

To start, many consumers enjoy advertising that helps them discover new products, stay informed and find good deals — and they appreciate entertaining, funny or creatively relevant ads. 

Here’s what some consumers shared: 

• “It's a great way to promote and get the idea or service out there to be able to help make income and opportunities for the people.”

• “I feel that way because some of the commercials are really funny and make you remember them, more than others.”

But it’s humor and relatable content that are Americans' most valued aspects of advertising, with strong visuals and appreciated brands also boosting appeal. 

Older audiences respond well to humor and animal themes, while individuals aged 26 to 35 are drawn to appealing visuals. Women are more inclined to enjoy humor, jingles and animal content, and ad enthusiasts appreciate a broader range of advertising elements than those who dislike ads.

Interestingly, celebrity endorsements tend to have less influence in the humor and entertainment space of ads these days, with most Americans overlooking the presence of a celebrity, and many don’t find celebrity endorsements particularly enjoyable. This suggests that star power alone doesn’t guarantee success today. 

Who doesn’t love a good jingle? One of those tunes created just for an ad that you can’t get out of your head, like Liquid Death’s “Kegs for Pregs” spot for example. 

Consumers are still fans, with nearly 9 in 10 Americans having caught themselves singing a jingle, showing how memorable audio can keep a brand top of mind — especially among ads enthusiasts and those aged 26 to 45. However, older audiences are less likely to engage with jingles in this way.

And unsurprisingly, memorability is a key factor in an ad’s success. However, that doesn’t come easy today, which is why jingles can be a helpful element to include.

Many respondents reported that they often could not remember what brand was being advertised (naturally, defeating the ad’s purpose!). This relates to feedback in open-ended comments about the sheer volume of ads being broadcast, which can overwhelm consumers. 

Overall, opinions on AI-generated ads are polarized, with no consensus. About 1 in 5 individuals strongly dislike them, often viewing them as impersonal or inauthentic — a view more common among rejecters, older audiences and women. Meanwhile, most ad enthusiasts feel excited about brands embracing AI.

When it comes to recognizing AI-generated ads, Americans feel confident in their ability to analyze them, with most believing they can tell when an ad has been created using AI — especially those aged 18 to 45, enthusiasts and men. Older adults are less likely to recognize AI-generated ads.

Lastly, most Americans are not influenced by AI in advertisements, which is a positive trend as AI usage grows. Younger audiences show more polarized reactions, while older adults and women are less affected by AI. Additionally, enthusiasts tend to have a more favorable view of brands that use AI compared to those who do not.

All that said, it’s worth calling out a distinction among age groups. Overall, we found that a viewer's age can greatly influence their attitude on advertising and advertising elements.  

Here’s a few callouts: 

• Younger audiences (18–55) are more engaged with advertising: They are more likely to enjoy ads. They’re also more open to changing their attitudes or behaviors based on an ad.

• Older adults (56–75) are more likely to be indifferent or somewhat dislike ads: They tend to report being less affected by advertising overall and are less likely to recall or respond to ads positively

• Younger viewers are more influenced by ad content: This group is more likely to feel that ads impact their purchasing decisions and brand perception. Older audiences tend to say they are less influenced.

• Visuals and jingles resonate most with ages 26–45: This age group responds well to appealing visuals and is most likely to recall jingles, while older adults are less responsive to these elements.

• Celebrity endorsements have limited appeal across ages: While not a strong driver overall, younger audiences are somewhat more receptive to celebrity-focused ads compared to older groups.

• AI-generated ads are more polarizing for younger people: While many viewers don’t mind AI in ads, younger adults are more likely to have strong opinions — both positive and negative — about AI involvement. Older audiences are less likely to notice or be affected by it.

We found the case to be the same when it comes to gender as well. Here’s a few learnings worth calling out: 

• Men are more likely than women to pay attention to advertising. They are also more confident in recognizing AI-generated ads compared to women.

• Women are more likely to enjoy humor, music/jingles and animal-themed content in ads.

• Women are more skeptical about AI-generated ads and less influenced by AI presence in advertising.

• Men are more likely to feel positively influenced by ads in terms of brand perception and purchasing decisions.

With consumer behavior constantly shifting, it almost goes without saying how important it is to maintain a pulse on their preferences, so you can create campaigns and products they actually want and need today. 

There’s a lot more to developing effective advertising than just understanding consumer attitudes.. Download our report based on an analysis of over 4,000 US ads for a deeper look into creative effectiveness, including: 

• How creative effectiveness varies among different ages and genders 

• The impact of various advertising characteristics on effectiveness, like the use of celebrities, music, AI, etc.

• Strengths and weaknesses of different categories including CPG food, QSR, alcoholic beverages, financial services, telecommunications and more

• Helpful tips and examples to help you develop your most effective creative — including guidance from our partners at VaynerMedia, an integrated strategy, creative and media agency