Key Findings

Most participants revealed an affinity for brands that use the snapshot aesthetic due to its relatability and casual nature. Many participants noted that the snapshot aesthetic mirrored what a product would look like in the real world, ultimately increasing brand affinity as participants could relate to the image. Figure 7 demonstrates this preference for relatable advertisements:

Another notable comment regarding this aesthetic was its ability to blend into the feed because of its casual nature. Participants noted a recent shift in the culture of posting on Instagram where both personal and branded accounts are switching to a more casual approach to social media. Brands are moving away from using high-quality images with studio backdrops and adopting a more nonchalant approach to Instagram by using the snapshot aesthetic. Many respondents agreed that this casualty increases affinity as brands' sponsored ads are less disruptive in the feed, several noting that they wouldn't be able to tell the examples were an advertisement without reading the caption. There was a general appreciation for the ads' ability to blend into the feed which resulted in a stronger affinity for brands that utilize the snapshot aesthetic. 

The participant who disliked the aesthetic stated that it was infiltrating his feed as he indicated feeling blindsided by the furtiveness of the ad. He explained that the aesthetic was not informative and expressed frustration for ads that require a further step of investigation to understand that it was a sponsored ad.

Most sentiments towards this aesthetic were positive with only one participant demonstrating negative feelings towards the snapshot aesthetic. 

Several participants expressed their dislike for the Canva aesthetic due to its unoriginality, dullness, and distraction. Interviewees explained that the aesthetic could be compared to any other ad, even if it was attractive to the eye. This theme of unoriginality in participants’ responses can be seen in Figure 9.

One participant, who is an active Canva user, explained that it was obvious to her when brands use the design tool to create posts, furthering this sentiment of unoriginality. 

Additionally, participants noted that the aesthetic made it clear that it is a branded post, but articulated different opinions regarding the more overt branding. Some individuals conveyed their negative attitude toward being clearly sold something, while others indicated appreciation for the informative nature of the design style. Some participants revealed that even though they liked the design, they would not want to follow the account due to its lack of casualty, while others expressed they would follow a brand they liked that used this aesthetic to keep up to date on promotions and sales:

While debating his opinion of the Canva aesthetic, Don said, “If I were following them, this would be a much better experience in figuring out what was going on with the company, what they were offering.” Although stating the Canva aesthetic to be more informative, he reflected back to the snapshot aesthetic and described its function to be, “more about enjoying the content and realizing a product.” While not being able to state a clear preference between the two aesthetics, Don explained would prefer the Canva aesthetic as a remarketing tool, meaning he had already heard of, bought from, or followed the brand. Conversely, he would choose the snapshot aesthetic as a tool for discovering a brand for the first time as the aesthetic is more ‘enjoyable.’ Don's opinion of the aesthetic suggested that polarized thinkers expressed their affinity for brands that use the Canva aesthetic, depending on their familiarity with the brand.  

Participants’ brand affinity for the Canva aesthetic was more difficult to measure as several respondents felt paradoxical impressions towards the aesthetic, however, the majority of participants expressed neutral or negative sentiments for the Canva aesthetic.

Although the sample size for this research was too small to apply findings to the general population, interestingly, every female participant preferred the snapshot aesthetic while male participants had more varied answers. Participants described the snapshot aesthetic as visually appealing, organic, intriguing, sneaky, and able to blend into their feed. Conversely, participants characterized the Canva aesthetic as “in your face,” informative, direct, and unoriginal. It is important to note that preferences may be informed by pre-existing opinions on what makes an advertisement effective.

The researcher categorized each respondent into a category of Image-Centric, Price-Centric, Information-Centric, or Product-Centric based on what they prefer to see when faced with a sponsored advertisement. Figure 11 defines these categories along with examples to provide further clarification.