By investigating recipients’ eye behavior, this paper aims to enhance knowledge of the emotions evoked by the moving images and language of localized TV commercials. People’s eye behavior (gaze, fixations, saccades, blinks, and pupil size variation) can reveal people’s higher cognitive functions and state of emotions. Herein, the method to be used is eye tracking, based on Tobii Pro Fusion technology and iMotions software. Although eye tracking is gaining popularity among researchers, it is not yet a popular approach for the detection of emotional and cognitive states (Skaramagkas et al., 2021). In this paper, we present the design for our empirical research to be conducted in March 2023 onwards. The initial findings will be presented at the 13^th Global Brand Conference in Bergamo.

Advertising is big business where emotions play a crucial role. In 2021, 772 billion US dollars were spent on advertising worldwide, of which a total of 159 billion was spent in Europe. During the last ten years, there has been an annual growth of 4–16%. (Statista 2022a; Statista 2022b; Statista 2022c.) More and more often, efforts are being made to enhance the effectiveness of advertisements by appealing to viewers at an emotional level; according to statistics, up to 41–49 percent of Americans aged 18–64 make unplanned impulse purchases guided by emotions (Statista 2020). When advertisements succeed in arousing positive emotions in consumers, they develop a positive emotional bond towards the advertised products and the advertiser. Such consumers are more loyal and profitable customers for the brand. (Thomson et al. 2006; Orth et al. 2010; So et al. 2013.) However, emotions are grounded in mechanisms that are under only limited human control (Frijda 1988) and purchase decisions are often made based on subconscious bases. Hence, investigating consumers’ true emotions is challenging, and this study tries to tackle the challenge for one’s part.