Authors: Kevin Jackson (BCE), Kiss Hedvig (SZTE), Matthew E. Bergman (BCE)
Abstract:
Who is drawn to AI-generated food advertising, and why? We might expect impulsive consumers to be more responsive, but what about young people who feel psychologically well? This presentation shares findings published in the British Food Journal, examining how Generation Z’s psychological traits relate to engagement with AI-generated and traditional food advertisements.
In an online survey, 982 participants aged 18–27 watched a traditional Lidl advertisement followed by an AI-generated Heinz advertisement. They completed a shortened Multimedia Ad Exposure Scale and established measures of social media addiction, compulsive buying, eating behaviour, and psychological flourishing. We compared engagement levels, examined relationships with psychological traits, and identified engagement profiles through cluster analysis.
Participants reported greater engagement with the AI-generated advertisement. Social media addiction, compulsive buying, and emotional eating were positively associated with engagement. Unexpectedly, participants with high well-being also reported slightly greater engagement, a pattern we call the “flourishing paradox.”
The study suggests that engagement may reflect both impulsivity and reflective openness. It introduces two proposed indicators, the Impulse Susceptibility Score and Flourishing Engagement Delta, to explore these differences. Differences in brand, creative execution, and presentation order prevent isolating an AI-production effect, and engagement alone does not demonstrate harm. The findings challenge the assumption that well-being necessarily means lower advertising receptivity and offer a more nuanced perspective on responsible AI marketing.