The Influence of Monochromatic Illustrations on the Attention to Public Health Messages: An Eye-Tracking Study

Past research suggests that images can be a useful tool in attracting people’s attention and improving public health communication. This is especially important for the effective transmission of health-related messages to the youth, who should be warned about risks of alcohol and tobacco use. This study explores the application of eye-tracking methodology to investigate the influence of monochromatic illustrations on youths’ visual attention to digital ads, with a particular emphasis on those presenting harmful effects of alcohol and tobacco consumption. Four digital ads were designed for the purpose of the experiment. Two ad topics (alcohol versus tobacco) and two ad contents (text-only versus text with a monochromatic illustration) were used as variables in the digital ad design. Analyses of eye fixations and viewing time revealed that more students noticed the digital ads with the illustration than the text-only ads. Furthermore, we found that the ads with illustrations had a longer viewing time and a higher number of fixations, regardless of the ad topic. The findings highlight the effectiveness of eye-tracking technology in examining the role of illustrations in digital ads, focusing on a better perception of addiction prevention campaigns whose message is targeted primarily toward young people.