Are animated in-app banner ads intrusive? Examining the interplay of structural and semantic ad factors

Purpose Drawing upon the psychological reactance theory, the study examines how animation (structural factor), ad congruity and ad informativeness (semantic factors) in in-app banner ads impact users’ perceived ad intrusiveness. Design/methodology/approach Two experiments with 2*2 between-subject factorial design were conducted. The first study examines the influence of ad type (static versus animated) and ad congruity (low versus high) on perceived ad intrusiveness. The second experiment investigates the influence of ad type (static versus animated) and ad informativeness (low versus high) on perceived advertisement intrusiveness. Findings The results showed that the presence of animation in in-app advertisements elicits a higher level of perceived intrusiveness compared to static ads. The study also reveals that in the presence of animation as the structural factor, semantic factors such as ad congruity and ad informativeness are not processed in the same manner. Practical implications The study has implications for marketers designing in-app banner ads. Originality/value The study empirically examines negative outcomes of in-app ad characteristics through the lens of psychological reactance theory. It reveals how animation, ad congruity, and ad informativeness factors in in-app advertisements are processed.