Expressive vs. Classical Visual Aesthetics: An Experimental Analysis of Their Effects on Attitude Toward Advertising and Purchase Intention

Rida Nur Azizah (Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, Muhammadiyah University of Surabaya, Indonesia)
Ali Imaduddin Futuwwah (Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, Muhammadiyah University of Surabaya, Indonesia)
Phonny Aditiawan Mulyana (Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, Muhammadiyah University of Surabaya, Indonesia)
Muhammad Anang Firmansyah (Management, Faculty of Economics and Business, Muhammadiyah University of Surabaya, Indonesia)

International Conference on Economics, Management, Business, and Accounting
Vol 2 No 1 (2025): International Conference on Economics, Management, Business, and Accounting

This study examines the influence of visual aesthetics on attitude toward advertising and purchase intention in the context of graduation photography services promoted through Instagram. Using a quasi-experimental between-subject design, 120 participants were exposed to either classical or expressive visual aesthetic stimuli. Data were analyzed using MANOVA and simple linear regression. The results show that expressive visual aesthetics generate significantly more positive advertising attitudes and stronger purchase intentions compared to classical aesthetics. Furthermore, attitude toward advertising has a significant positive effect on purchase intention. These findings support the S-O-R framework, indicating that aesthetic stimuli shape psychological responses, which in turn drive behavioral intentions. This study contributes to digital marketing and visual communication literature by highlighting the importance of expressive aesthetic design in creative service advertisements.