This study explores the influence of a cartoon-like computer-generated (CGI) character on consumer's attitudes, attention and purchase intentions. Literature addressing this issue is reviewed, several hypotheses proposed, and four empirical studies were conducted. Study 1 and Study 4 concerns with consumers' attitudes and purchase intentions, whereas Study 2 and Study 3 - with their pupil dilations and eye movements during two consecutive exposures to the advertisement.
The data, collected from a sample of 30 subjects, indicate that a cartoon-like computer-generated actor had no significant influence on consumers' attitudes and purchase intentions in comparison to a live actor when the advertised product is a t-shirt. In addition, the CGI character was found to concentrate participant's attention more toward his appearance and less toward the advertised product with which he was implicitly co-exposed. Significant differences in pupil sizes were registered at the moment the CGI actor simulated emotions through facial expressions. Participants were also found to change their gaze-patterns during the second exposure to the visual stimuli.
The data, collected from a different sample of 20 subjects, indicate that a cartoon-like CGI character had no influence on their attitudes and purchase intentions when the advertised products were such of different clothing and accessories (scarf, tie, shirt).
The paper concludes with a discussion of the study's findings, limitations of the taken approach and future research.