Advertisers only have a few seconds to make a lasting impression. The average human attention span has fallen from 12 seconds to eight seconds.¹ And, according to a recent study, Gen Z only has a 1.3 second attention span for ads — the shortest of all generations measured.² But those few seconds can make a difference. Capturing just 2 seconds of attention can increase recall, raise brand awareness, and inspire purchase intent.³

Based on this, we know that first impressions matter. The only way to make a great first impression on customers is with great creative. So, we spoke to Walmart customers to understand what types of ads stand out to them. There was one consistent theme that rose to the top: ads that hero the product are more likely to drive purchase intent.⁴ Customers want to be able to quickly understand what your ad is for and to clearly see the product they are considering.

Customers want to see the product front and center, but that doesn’t mean you need to always use a stand-alone product shot. There is also value in including lifestyle imagery – it is a great way to show the product in use and illustrate relevant use cases. Keep these tips in mind when considering whether to include lifestyle imagery in your ads:

• When you feature people, make sure it doesn’t take away from the product. The product should still be the most prominent part of your ad.  

• Consider the value of implicit messaging. For example, including children when showing products for kids and families signals that this is a family-friendly product.  

• Make sure the use cases and the demographics of the individuals shown are relevant to your audience. For example, if you are advertising a skin care product to a broad audience, but show a very young woman, you may alienate older shoppers and make them feel like the product isn’t for them.  

• Avoid lifestyle imagery that feels staged. Customers want to see relatable people in real-life situations. 

Product as the hero isn’t a new concept. However, there are endless possibilities when it comes to how you can bring this guidance to life. To find some inspiration, we reviewed Walmart advertising to uncover the top trends that hero the product clearly, grab attention quickly and stand out prominently in the Walmart environment. Let’s take a look: 

This content is brought to you by Lightbox Creative, our in-house creative team that helps suppliers drive business results with Walmart Connect’s retail media solutions through best-in-class creative. Learn more about Lightbox Creative and their mission here.

Source:

¹National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2019.

²Attention in Context Study by OMD, Yahoo and Amplified Intelligence, April 2022.

³Nielsen Research, June 2017.

⁴First-Party Data, Walmart Customer Spark Community, provided by Walmart Luminate, April 2023.