Ephemeral Advertising and Consumer Engagement: The Impact of Short-Lived Digital Ads on Purchase Intentions in Gen Z

In recent years, ephemeral digital advertisements designed to disappear within 24 hours have emerged as a prominent marketing strategy on platforms such as Instagram Stories, Snapchat, and WhatsApp Status. Despite its growing adoption by brands, academic research on its effectiveness remains limited. This study aims to explore the impact of ephemeral advertising on consumer engagement, brand recall, and purchase intentions, with a specific focus on Generation Z consumers. The research examines whether the time-limited nature of such ads creates heightened urgency and fosters impulse buying compared to persistent digital advertisements. Using an experimental design, participants aged 18–25 will be exposed to both ephemeral and persistent ad formats, followed by surveys measuring recall accuracy, engagement levels, and purchase likelihood. Statistical analyses will identify significant differences between the two formats and investigate the moderating role of interactivity features such as polls, swipe-ups, and reactions. The findings are expected to provide valuable insights for marketers on optimizing ad formats to enhance campaign effectiveness, while contributing to the limited scholarly literature on short-lived digital advertising.