New mobile advertising formats targeting young audiences: an analysis of advertainment and influencers' role in perception and understanding

The paper examines how the rapid growth of mobile-based advertainment and influencer-driven content blurs distinctions between editorial and commercial messages for minors, complicating recognition of persuasive intent. In Spain, mobile adoption begins around age 11, and influencer marketing investments are rising, intensifying minors’ exposure. Prior work shows children often struggle to identify embedded advertising and that disclosures can help, although parasocial relationships (PSR) may dampen critical responses. The study addresses a research gap in Spain regarding minors’ advertising literacy for hybrid mobile formats. Objectives: (1) explore minors’ understanding and awareness of persuasive messaging within influencer-driven hybrid content; (2) examine minors’ moral and evaluative responses to hybrid advertising and assess its impact on brand and influencer perception.

The review traces a shift from overt, traditional advertising to hybrid digital formats that integrate persuasion within entertainment (advertainment), increasing effectiveness by masking commercial intent and stimulating participation. Classic attitude-to-advertising models (Ducoffe; Brackett and Carr) highlight informativeness, entertainment, irritation, credibility, and personalization; meta-analytic evidence shows entertainment and credibility most strongly improve attitudes to mobile advertising, while irritation harms them. Younger users prioritize entertainment; older users respond more to personalization, credibility, and informativeness. Influencer marketing exemplifies content hybridization: brand integration is less conspicuous, aided by influencers’ reach and PSR, which fosters trust and positive brand responses. Regulatory responses in Spain aim to clarify commercial communications, yet disclosures in influencer posts are often inadequate, especially among kid influencers. Children frequently regard influencers as relatable, increasing susceptibility to endorsements. Advertising literacy is framed through conceptual (recognition and understanding of intent, sources, tactics), attitudinal (critical stance), and moral (ethical judgment) dimensions. Research on digital embedded formats with minors remains nascent, historically focused on TV (notably food). Media and advertising literacy interventions increase critical processing, skills, and awareness; parental mediation is important but challenging. The study articulates two research questions: (1) Are children aware of the variety of commercial messages they receive via mobile phones? (2) What are the ethical and evaluative implications of hybrid advertising for minors?

A qualitative design employed 35 semi-structured online interviews with minors aged 10–14 residing in Spain. Interviewees were purposively selected from a larger project’s first-phase sample (n=1070) stratified by four aggregated geographic zones (aligned with EU NUTS) and family socioeconomic level (low, medium, high) to ensure representation across age, sex, school type, technology access, and baseline advertising literacy. Ethical approval was obtained from the International University of La Rioja Ethics Committee; parental informed consent authorized recording. Interviews were conducted via Microsoft Teams between September and December 2023. Sample distribution: 20 boys, 15 girls; ages: 10 (n=4), 11 (n=7), 12 (n=7), 13 (n=9), 14 (n=8). A semi-structured guide covered: (1) recognition and understanding of promotional content blending advertising and entertainment on social networks (self-efficacy, identification, intent, strategies, credibility, trust, and factors such as entertainment, credibility, personalization, irritation); (2) emotional and ethical evaluations of such content, views on restrictions/disclosures, and perceived effects on brands and influencers, including suggestions for making ads more appealing. To ground discussion, five familiar examples were shown: (1) a brand app with a face filter (Cheetos; no ad signal); (2) Instagram carousel by a kid influencer with #ad, brand mention, discount code (Flexispot desk bike); (3) Instagram reel by two kid influencers with #ad (Metazells video game); (4) in-game banner in a game app (Voltio car rental; no signal); (5) TikTok video by a singer promoting a soda (Coke; no signal). All sessions were audio/video recorded and transcribed verbatim. Analysis followed Seid’s steps and grounded theory (Strauss and Corbin) with iterative coding in MAXQDA. Two top-level categories guided coding: (1) recognition/understanding of persuasive intent in hybrid content; (2) moral perceptions of hybrid advertising. Deductive coding from the interview framework was refined inductively to capture emergent concepts and patterns.

• Advertising recognition and understanding: About half reported they could always or almost always identify advertising; the remainder either had doubts or could not reliably differentiate. On the five stimuli, minors identified on average 3.25 promotional items. Nine participants judged all five as promotional. Self-assessed skill groups showed similar average detections (good: 3.23; poor: 3.37; challenging: 3.37). Recognition rose gradually with age: mean age 11.88 years among those identifying 1–2 ads, 12.25 for 3–4, and 12.66 for all five. Participants generally understood persuasive intent (to stimulate interest and purchase; to increase company profits). Many expressed skepticism about product authenticity, noting exaggeration or mismatch with reality; none felt products were portrayed entirely truthfully. Of the 16 who explicitly addressed credibility, half considered the content credible despite doubts about faithful representation.
• Entertainment value and attitudes: Opinions varied; roughly half found the posts entertaining overall or case-by-case (influencer fame, humor, or product interest), while many—particularly boys—did not, often due to disinterest in the product or influencer. Many attributed influencer promotions to income generation and brand reach benefits. Most perceived influencers as non-experts on products, though a few credited them with promotional skill and audience knowledge. Credibility judgments were mixed; a notable share held some trust (e.g., products must be real if sold).
• Emotions and moral views: Upon learning all examples were promotional, the most common reactions were indifference (e.g., skipping) and satisfaction (personalization to tastes); a minority reported anger, plus mentions of surprise, entertainment, boredom, curiosity, and happiness. Morally, nearly half viewed influencer advertising as acceptable as part of influencers’ jobs; others were wary, citing financial motives or potential deception. About half disliked integrated brand presence (attractive but potentially misleading); others liked or were indifferent, often contingent on subtlety and relevance.
• Policy and disclosure preferences: Most did not support banning this advertising; rationales included necessity for creators’ livelihoods and normalcy of marketing. Those favoring bans cited boredom or ethical concerns (e.g., promoting unsuitable or harmful products). Many endorsed clearer labeling (e.g., explicit “advertising” at the outset, disclosure in descriptions), though some preferred subtle or current practices to avoid disrupting engagement; several were indifferent.
• Effects on brand and influencer perceptions: For most, recognition of promotional intent did not change opinions of influencers or brands, especially when content remained entertaining; some conditioned acceptance on truthfulness and transparency. A minority would downgrade views if advertising seemed deceptive; others saw collaborations as standard business, sometimes even positive (supporting creators) or variable in effectiveness across brands. Overall, recognition and understanding of hybrid influencer advertising increase with age; minors are accustomed to such practices and often respond with indifference. They advocate clearer disclosures but generally oppose prohibitions.

Findings address the research questions by showing that minors are broadly aware of embedded brand presence in influencer content but do not consistently label it as advertising; recognition and understanding increase modestly with age. Ethical and evaluative responses skew toward indifference and pragmatic acceptance, reflecting normalization of influencer promotions. Consistent with prior research, disclosures can aid recognition, yet strong parasocial relationships may preserve favorable brand and influencer attitudes even when sponsorship is acknowledged. The engaging nature of hybrid content obscures persuasive intent, reinforcing the necessity of strengthening advertising literacy beyond mere recognition to include attitudinal and moral dimensions (critical evaluation, appropriateness, transparency). Educational interventions integrated into curricula, complemented by parental mediation, can equip minors to interpret and evaluate hybrid messages, while industry transparency and accuracy can improve outcomes and trust. The results underscore the importance of clear, prominent disclosures in influencer marketing and the development of minors’ critical capacities to navigate persuasive mobile content.

This study contributes evidence from Spain on minors’ processing of mobile advertainment and influencer-driven advertising, showing that recognition and understanding of persuasive intent rise with age, while emotional reactions are often indifferent and moral evaluations generally permissive. Minors favor clear sponsorship disclosures but do not support banning integrated advertising. These insights support implementing advertising literacy programs that advance conceptual, attitudinal, and moral competencies, with schools playing a central role and parents providing complementary mediation. For practice, brands and influencers should prioritize transparent, accurate disclosures and avoid deceptive or intrusive tactics. Future research could broaden samples and contexts, compare platforms and disclosure modalities, examine the moderating role of parasocial relationships and individual differences, and assess educational interventions’ effectiveness on ethical evaluation and behavior over time.