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Annoying commercials: 4 reasons why millennials don't like your ads



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There are a whole load of annoying commercials out there. But what exactly is it that makes them so bad? Research into millennials and advertising reveals 4 of the biggest ad turn-offs.

In their research on brand avoidance amongst millennials (aka Generation Y), academics at Jönköping International Business School in Sweden found that advertising can cause Gen Y consumers to avoid brands.

Here are the four main reasons for advertising-related brand avoidance, according to their research.

1. Poor or tasteless content

Millennials avoid brands who put out ads with poor creative. This can include poor storylines, ads that are difficult to comprehend, and ads that feature taboo themes like sex or violence.

2. Celebrity endorsement by a ‘unlikeable’ celebrity

Generation Y consumers reported that they would avoid brands if they don’t like a celebrity who is featured in their ads. Disliking for a celebrity can transferred onto the brand, leading consumers to ultimately avoid the brand itself.

3. Annoying music

Research shows that music used in advertising can, at times, have a huge positive impact. But if an advert is ‘noisy’, or if a Gen Y consumer doesn’t like the tune, they may well stop buying.

4. Subjective, emotional responses

One advert will create millions of different subjective and emotional responses, but all of these responses are important. Millennials described cases where they avoided brands for no other reason than finding their ad ‘stupid’ or ‘annoying’.



This animation is based on "Brand avoidance among Generation Y consumers" in Qualitative Market Research.


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