Augmented Reality in Food Advertising: The Mediating Role of Immersion in Shaping Consumer Attitudes

This study aims to examine how augmented reality (AR) on consumer attitudes toward food advertising, with a specific focus on the mediating role of immersion. Using an experimental design, 86 participants viewed an AR-based advertisement and completed a self-administered questionnaire. Structural relationships were examined via partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Results revealed that informativeness and entertainment positively influenced attitudes towards AR advertising. Immersion fully mediated the effect of informativeness, while the effect of entertainment was partially mediated. These findings suggest that, in food advertising, AR-induced immersion enhances consumers’ perception of informativeness, while entertainment can be reinforced through immersion but also contributes directly to the formation of positive consumer attitudes toward advertising. Based on this empirical analysis, this study provides theoretical and practical implications for developing immersive AR advertising strategies that effectively reflect the characteristics of the food consumption context.