Abstract

The digital technology revolution has changed the ecosystem of the advertising industry. New media have brought major changes and challenges to the creation, diffusion, and influence of advertising images. First, small teams and individuals have replaced 4A advertising companies as creators of advertising images for brands with more interactive elements. Second, social media have enabled common people to actively participate in brand building via sharing their images and comments online. Third, customized images with precise positioning offer meaningful brand experiences to consumers. To meet the new challenges, this article proposes three strategies: multidisciplinary learning, design thinking, and consumer insight. The findings provide some suggestions for designers to consider how advertising image design and diffusion operate in the new media era, which technologies can be used to reach target audiences, and what stories can be told to deliver meaningful brand experiences.