Abstract

Rapid development of online advertising has made advertisers and marketers look at the TV series industry in China. Nowadays, advertisers and marketers are trying new and creative tactics of advertising in Chinese TV series. This study aims to compare these two types of advertising (creative mid-roll and overlay advertising) at intrusiveness levels and seeks to better understand the effects of two creative types of advertising in Chinese contexts; precisely to understand their effects on viewers’ attitudes toward advertising and brands and understand the different effects of advertising between introvert viewers and extrovert viewers and the mediation effect of irritation in influencing the perceived intrusiveness and attitude toward the ad and brand. Results indicate that different from the traditional video and text advertising difference, creative mid-roll advertising and in-video overlay advertising show no difference in intrusiveness levels. In addition, introvert people would perceive higher intrusiveness than extrovert people when people watch advertisements. Mediation effect of irritation is also confirmed in the current study which is partially mediated the relationship between intrusiveness and attitude toward the ad and the brand. When it comes to the managerial implications, the study suggests that in-video overlay advertising is more acceptable for general people so that it should be more considered for the Chinese TV series. Another implication is that advertisers should have awareness of marketing etiquette. They should be more concentrated on customer experience, respecting customers, and protecting customers’ rights.