Effects of Skippable Ads on Viewers' Reactance and Brand Attitudes

Abstract

Skippable advertisements have become common on video‐sharing platforms, yet their effects on brand attitudes remain underexplored. Drawing on psychological reactance theory and the theory of interactive media effects (TIME), this study examines whether the skippable ad reduces viewers' reactance and improves brand attitudes, and whether these effects differ by advertisement placement. A 2 (ad format: non‐skippable vs. skippable) × 2 (ad position: pre‐roll vs. mid‐roll) between‐subject online experiment was conducted in Japan. Participants watched a 2‐min video containing a 10‐ or 15‐s advertisement. Results showed that viewers exposed to the skippable‐ad format reported a greater sense of control, lower psychological reactance, and more favorable brand attitudes than those exposed to the non‐skippable format. Exploratory analyses suggested different patterns among skipping and non‐skipping participants, with cue‐consistent patterns emerging mainly in the pre‐roll condition and use‐consistent patterns appearing across ad positions. Although these exploratory findings should be interpreted cautiously because skipping behavior was self‐selected, they highlight perceived control as a key mechanism in interactive online advertising.