In their joint study, The Power of Clean, our affiliates at Say Media and IPG Media Lab take a look at the impact of web ads in clean vs. cluttered spaces.

While we often recall exactly where to find what we are looking for in a messy room (the remote? Yeah, it’s stuffed in the couch between those cushions and under that magazine, obviously), the same cannot be said for web space. A study conducted by Say Media and IPG Media Lab reveals that as web pages become busier or cluttered, the harder it is for brand advertisers to break through. Not only that, but brand perceptions also differ greatly in different web settings. Users were shown one of four websites with the same content but with four different ad environments ranging from clean to more cluttered. In addition to post-view branding data, eye-tracking data was also collected. 

So what did they discover? According to the data, ads were noticed 24% more in a cleaner environment and the time spent viewing them was twice as long. Not only did they grab more attention, but they were also recalled far more. Unaided recall was three times higher in a cleaner space and aided recall was twice as high, even resulting in higher purchase intent. In essence, clean ads resonate with consumers and help them to internalize your brand message, and the environment matters as users tend to notice even the smallest changes in site and ad layouts.

“With so many ad formats, like IAB Rising Stars and other new ones being added each year, there are now no limits to creativity and no excuses not to execute clean and beautiful ads that will be seen and remembered by users,” says Marie-Pierre Blanchette, Art Director.

Lesson learned? Channel your inner neat freak if you want your ads to get noticed and ultimately get more bang for your buck.

Check out the full study here: The Power of Clean