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Marketing Theory
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Toward a General Theory of Creativity in Advertising: Examining the Role of Divergence

Robert E. Smith

Indiana University, USA

Xiaojing Yang

Indiana University, USA

Despite the widespread recognition of the importance of creativity in advertising by practitioners and scholars, no systematic research has been conducted to define ad creativity or examine how it relates to ad effectiveness. The present research attempts to fill this gap by reviewing past literature in psychology, marketing and advertising. From this base, a model is developed which defines a creative ad as both divergent (i.e. novel or unusual) and relevant. The effects of divergence and (to a lesser extent) relevance on consumer processing and response are examined and a series of theoretical propositions are developed. Next, a general theory of creativity in advertising is developed that calls for research in five primary areas: advertising as a communication process, management process, societal process, group process, and personal process. Finally, contributions to advertising theory and implications for future research are discussed, along with commentary from a prominent advertising executive.

Key Words: advertising • advertising theory • creativity • divergence

Marketing Theory, Vol. 4, No. 1-2, 31-58 (2004)
DOI: 10.1177/1470593104044086
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