Islamic symbols in video commercials: an empirical analysis of perceived Islamic value and consumer attitudes

Purpose The study aims to explain the concept of advertising value in the context of Islamic symbols incorporated in video commercials (VCs). The study proposes a new concept of perceived Islamic value of advertising that will help improve persuasive advertising efforts directed towards Muslim consumers. Furthermore, this study investigates the salience or frequency of the incorporated symbols that may or may not attract consumers. Design/methodology/approach The study uses an experimental research design to explore how Islamic symbols in VCs influence consumer attitudes and purchase intentions. At least 30 participants in each group were exposed to systematically selected commercials in a controlled setting, with post-exposure surveys used to assess changes in their attitudes and intentions. Findings Advertisements with high salience or frequency of Islamic symbols significantly boost consumer responses, especially perceived Islamic value. High salience symbols have the strongest effect, while frequency amplifies this impact – though too much frequency can reduce salience. Across ad types, low salience/frequency ads perform worst, while high salience ads remain consistently effective. Practical implications The findings guide practitioners to better use Islamic symbols in Muslim-majority markets. While salience should be an ultimate choice, the frequency of less-salience symbols may be incorporated in the commercials to attract Muslim consumers. Originality/value While VCs are widely used and well-studied in mainstream marketing, they remain underexplored in Islamic marketing. To the best of authors’ knowledge, this study is among the first to analyse VC content for Muslim consumers and introduces the new concept of perceived Islamic value of an advertisement.