Perceived Realism and Novelty in FOOH Advertising

Abstract

This study examines how the configurational relationship between perceived realism and novelty in Fake Out-of-Home (FOOH) advertising shapes consumer value perceptions and brand responses. Moving beyond variable-centered approaches that treat perceived realism and novelty as independent dimensions, this study adopts a configurational perspective to examine how these perceptual elements operate together. Employing a sequential mixed-methods design, the study combines case analysis with a survey experiment. In the case analysis, 190 Instagram-based FOOH videos posted by global fashion and beauty brands were analyzed to identify the patterns of perceived realism and novelty and their relationship with consumer engagement. Five distinct configurations were identified, with the balanced configuration consistently associated with the highest engagement rates. Building on these findings, a survey experiment was conducted with 1,501 participants. The results revealed that balanced perceived realism and novelty most effectively activated utilitarian value (UV) and hedonic value (HV) perceptions, which subsequently contributed to more favorable brand awareness and brand attitude. Further, UV exerted a stronger influence on brand awareness, whereas HV showed a comparatively stronger effect on brand attitude. The findings suggest that FOOH advertising effectiveness is better understood through the configurational balance among perceptual elements rather than through the amplification of a single attribute. The study contributes to advertising and visual communication design research by introducing a configurational perspective on FOOH advertising effectiveness and offers practical design implications for balancing visual plausibility and perceptual surprise in hybrid media environments.