Non-Verbal Mechanisms of Attention Redistribution in Celebrity Advertisements

The article presents the results of a study of visual perception of advertisements featuring celebrities based on eye-tracking data. The aim of the study was to identify the mechanisms of redistribution of visual attention on celebrity images, pointing gestures, and advertised products, as well as to analyze gender differences in perception. The research materials include three advertising stimuli, differing in visual structure and the presence (absence) of pointing gestures. Methods include comprehensive analysis of eye-tracking metrics, heat map analysis, and thematic analysis of post-interviews. The results demonstrate that a celebrity pointing gesture significantly reduces the “vampire” effect by directing the viewer’s attention to the product and creating a visual pathway of “face-gesture- product.” Women exhibit a socio-emotional model of perception (focusing their attention on the face), while men exhibit a more pragmatic model, with increased attention to the product. At the same time, the data confirms the pronounced effect of gesture-indicative signals: a stimulus with celebrity with an index finger gesture shift the audience’s attention systematically towards the image of the product. The results support th match-up hypothesis: consistency of the ambassador and the advertised product can be formed not only at the level of declarative associations, but also through visual mechanisms of attention redistribution. Although some respondents verbally criticized the choice of media personalities for advertising purposes, their eye movement activity indicated that they were studying the product under the influence of the celebrity’s gestures. Thus, the study clarifies the role of celebrities as visual moderators of attention and demonstrates that nonverbal signals (pointing gestures, in particular) can compensate for the subjectively assessed mismatch between the brand and the celebrity.