Memory at Play: Personalizing Online Advertisements Based on Consumers’ Autobiographical Memory

Targeted advertising promises to increase relevance to consumers, but risks backfiring if it seems overly intrusive. In the present study, we examined whether personalizing online advertisements based on one’s autobiographical memory can foster positive reactions toward the advertisement. In two experiments, participants went through a fictitious social media website where they recalled a special memory and then saw an advertisement that was or was not personalized based upon their memory. Results demonstrate that personalized advertisements elicited favorable reactions toward the advertisement via enhanced feeling of nostalgia, but did not show an influence on positive affect or perceived intrusiveness.