The Marketing Architects Podcast

Episode: Nerd Alert: The Science of Ads that Stick
Air Date: February 12, 2026
Hosts: Eleanor Jasper & Rob Demars

Episode Overview

In this episode of The Marketing Architects, Eleanor Jasper and Rob Demars dive into the science behind what makes advertisements memorable, focusing on new academic research that challenges conventional thinking in marketing. The hosts break down the findings from a major study on long-term ad memorability—how and why ads "stick" in consumers' minds days after initial exposure. They also discuss how AI is now helping marketers both predict and generate memorable ads.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Traditional Ad Recall Testing is Flawed

• Key Issue: Most ad recall studies measure memory minutes after exposure, but purchase decisions often happen days or weeks later.
• Eleanor Jasper [02:02]:

  “Most people look at recall within a few minutes…they think that’s a problem because short term recall is a poor proxy for how advertising actually works. People don’t usually buy something within five minutes of seeing an ad.”

2. Major Academic Study on Long-Term Ad Memorability

• Study Details:
  • Conducted by researchers from Adobe and several universities.
  • Utilized "Lambda," a large-scale dataset (1700+ participants, 2200 ads, 276 brands, 113 industries).
  • Participants viewed ads in natural settings; follow-up memory tests occurred days later.
• Unique Approach: Real-world viewing, focusing on delayed recall.

3. What Doesn't Matter in Memorability

• Length of the ad
• Whether there was music or speech
• Time of day

4. What Does Matter: Emotion and Brand Relevance

• Emotion—especially intensity—was the strongest predictor
  • Eleanor Jasper [04:01]:

    “The answer was emotion. That’s what they found mattered the most…or more specifically, emotional intensity.”

  • Negative emotion sticks even more than positive:

    “Negative emotion stuck out more than positive emotion. That doesn’t mean your ads should be depressing. It just means the intensity mattered more than positivity.”

• Other Important Factors:
  • Visual energy/pace (ads with more movement are slightly more memorable)
  • Brand relevance: If a brand is already familiar or meaningful, its ads are more likely to be remembered.
    • More pronounced in sectors like food, entertainment, and technology.

5. AI Steps In: Predicting & Designing Memorable Ads

• AI model "Henry" built from the study predicts ad memorability by combining visual, emotional, and brand cues with large language model knowledge.
• Outperformed existing memorability models across datasets.
• AI-generated ads, optimized with these techniques, scored 44% higher in predicted memorability versus originals.
• Rob Demars [05:47]:

  “AI follows frameworks really well. So I suppose if they've identified a framework that can repeatedly tap into people's emotions, then that would support their thesis and it would work.”

6. Actionable Takeaways for Marketers

• Don’t treat ad recall as a pop quiz: Test for longer-term memorability, not just instant recall.
• Emotion beats information: Strong, intense, and even slightly negative emotions drive long-term recall more than rational or cheerful messaging.
• Brand strength compounds memorability: The more relevant and strong a brand is, the better its ads will stick.
• Use AI for creative iteration and pre-testing: AI can predict—and even generate—ads that become more memorable.

7. Memorable Analogy

• Rob GPT [07:14]:

  “Ads are like seeds. Most land on hard ground and never take hold. The ones that grow are planted where there’s already some familiarity and emotion in the soil. This research shows that memorability follows those same conditions. AI can help spot which seeds are more likely to sprout, but the brand still decides what kind of garden it wants to grow.”

8. Memorable Example from Outside Marketing

• Rob Demars [07:45]:
  Refers to a study on adrenaline and memory:

  “Roy Williams, the wizard of ads, talked about adrenaline…the ability to increase adrenaline in a consumer will increase…the memory to stick. He referenced people who were assaulted…that’s why they have such rich detail…because the level of adrenaline in their system was so high…So to correlate with this study, that even negative emotions, maybe even score higher than positive emotions, is because you have that much more kind of adrenaline flowing through the system.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Eleanor Jasper [04:01]:

  “The answer was emotion…emotional intensity.”

• Rob Demars [05:47]:

  “AI follows frameworks really well…if they've identified a framework that can repeatedly tap into people's emotions, then that would support their thesis and it would work.”

• Eleanor Jasper [06:02]:

  “AI generated ads scored an average of 44% higher in predicted memorability than the original.”

• Rob GPT [07:14]:

  “Ads are like seeds. Most land on hard ground and never take hold. The ones that grow are planted where there’s already some familiarity and emotion in the soil…AI can help spot which seeds are more likely to sprout.”

• Rob Demars [07:45]:

  “The level of adrenaline in their system was so high. So…even negative emotions, maybe even score higher than positive emotions, is because you have that much more kind of adrenaline flowing through the system.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:55 — Introduction to the study on ad memorability
• 02:02 — Why short-term recall is the wrong metric
• 03:24 — Rob’s prediction (distinctive assets), introducing actual findings
• 04:01 — Emotion and emotional intensity as top memorability driver
• 04:29 — Negative emotion outlasting positive emotion
• 05:08 — Brand relevance strengthens ad recall
• 05:30 — AI model "Henry" and its predictive/generative power
• 06:02 — AI-generated ads outperform real originals
• 06:34 — Practical tips for marketers
• 07:14 — Rob GPT’s “ads as seeds” analogy
• 07:45 — Adrenaline, negative emotion, and the science of sticky memories

Summary

This episode of The Marketing Architects delivers science-backed insights on creating advertisements that endure in memory. The hosts highlight ground-breaking research that overturns long-held assumptions about ad testing, emphasizing the long-term over the immediate. Emotion—especially intense and sometimes uncomfortable feelings—proves more cementing than rational messaging or ad features like length and music. Additionally, the show illustrates how AI can help marketers both forecast and engineer memorable creative, underlining the critical role of building brand relevance and emotional engagement. The episode provides actionable, research-intensive advice for marketers looking to build campaigns that truly "stick."