In today’s digital world, where consumers are bombarded with ads every second, grabbing attention is half the battle. One of the biggest debates in advertising is: what’s more important—audio or visuals? While sound can add emotional layers, research shows that visuals are the dominant factor in ad effectiveness. Here’s why focusing on visuals can make or break your campaign.

The Power of Visuals in Advertising

A fundamental truth in marketing is: if your ad isn’t seen, it isn’t sold. The Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing Science has repeatedly demonstrated that visibility is a critical factor in driving brand growth. Ads that stand out visually contribute to what’s called mental availability—the likelihood that your brand comes to mind when a consumer is ready to buy.

The Brain Loves Visuals (And Science Proves It)

Scientific studies show that the brain processes visual information much faster than auditory speech. Research indicates that the brain can begin detecting visual content in as little as 13 milliseconds (Potter et al., 2014) and can recognize objects in a scene within 150 milliseconds (Thorpe, Fize, & Marlot, 1996). In contrast, speech processing is sequential, requiring the brain to interpret sound waves, recognize phonemes, and construct meaning over time. Even short spoken words take hundreds of milliseconds to be fully understood (Friederici, 2002). That’s because nearly 20% - 30% of the brain’s cortex is dedicated to visual processing, while only around 8% is focused on audio (Van Essen, 2004). Simply put, seeing is believing—and remembering.

This is why a single glance at an ad delivers more immediate impact than spoken messaging—the brain extracts meaning from visuals in an instant, while speech demands more cognitive effort to process sequentially.

This is why strong visual branding works. Studies show that visuals activate the occipital lobe, encoding memories faster and more efficiently than sound alone. In advertising, if your ad isn’t seen, it isn’t remembered. Period.

The Science Behind Visual Dominance

Byron Sharp, in How Brands Grow, emphasizes the importance of distinctive brand assets—logos, colors, packaging, and signature ad styles. These visual cues make brands instantly recognizable in a cluttered market. Jenny Romaniuk, also from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, explains in Building Distinctive Brand Assets that while audio assets (like jingles or sonic logos) can be valuable, visuals are often more critical because they are processed more quickly and easily.

Think about your own experience scrolling through social media. How often do you watch ads on mute? Many video ads on platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram are initially viewed without sound. This study was done for Facebook ads where most people only turn the sound on when watching a full video or clicking through to a website—but for engagement-driven ads (likes, shares, comments) and conversion-focused campaigns, they overwhelmingly keep the sound off. With nearly 99.87% of users relying on auto-play, ads must communicate their message visually. If an ad’s goal is engagement or conversion, relying on sound is risky—visual storytelling, captions, and on-screen text are crucial for effectiveness. That’s why junbi focuses on measuring and optimizing the visual effectiveness of ads—ensuring they grab attention, communicate branding, and are easy to process, even on mute.

The Role of Visuals in Ad Effectiveness

Strong visuals are the backbone of effective advertising, significantly boosting recall and engagement. Research from Nielsen Neuro Research shows that ads with compelling visual elements achieve 42% higher recall rates than those relying mainly on audio. Even in traditionally audio-driven spaces like podcasts, ads that encourage visual mental imagery perform better, as noted by the Journal of Advertising Research.

One major advantage of visuals is their preattentive processing—they are absorbed instantly without requiring conscious effort. In contrast, audio demands sequential processing, making it slower to influence consumer behavior (Oxford Crossmodal Research Lab). This explains why platforms like Facebook and Instagram see 80% of video ads watched without sound—if an ad doesn’t visually communicate its message, it risks being ignored (Nielsen).

Unlike visuals, which are universally recognizable, audio is highly subjective and context-dependent. Factors like music preferences or cultural nuances make it less reliable for consistent brand recall (Harvard Business Review). While sound can enhance emotional engagement, it works best as a supporting element rather than the primary driver of attention. For brands looking to maximize impact, prioritizing strong, distinctive visuals is essential.

Key Takeaways:

• Visuals drive recall – Ads with strong visual elements are 42% more memorable.
• Most ads are watched on mute – Strong visual storytelling is crucial.
• Visuals are processed instantly – Unlike audio, which requires effort and context.
• Audio is subjective – Music and sound cues vary in effectiveness across audiences.

Why Doesn’t junbi Measure Audio?

While audio can add emotional depth, it operates in a higher cognitive domain, requiring more brain processing. It’s also highly subjective—music preferences, for example, vary widely across individuals and cultures. Research from Harvard Business Review confirms that while sound can enhance engagement, its impact is far more variable than visuals.

Additionally, studies from Oxford University on cross-modal perception show that visuals and audio are processed differently. Vision is the dominant sense, processed rapidly and with high clarity, while sound requires the right context to align with visuals. That’s why, even in ads with strong audio elements, visuals remain the key driver of initial attention.

How Visuals & Audio Work Together (When Done Right)

While visuals are the primary driver of attention, audio plays a crucial supporting role—especially when used strategically. Research by Ipsos found that when visual and audio cues align, ad effectiveness can increase by 20%. A great example of this synergy is McDonald’s iconic "Ba-da-ba-ba-ba" jingle. While the sound itself is recognizable, its real power comes from being reinforced by decades of strong visual branding.

Humans are naturally wired to prioritize movement, bright colors, and faces, meaning our eyes process visuals before our ears process sound. Unless an audio cue is particularly unexpected or jarring, visuals take precedence. This ties into cognitive load and memory—thanks to dual-coding theory, visuals create stronger memory “hooks,” while audio works best as reinforcement for what’s on-screen.

However, context matters. If viewers are multitasking or only half-paying attention, a distinctive sound or background music can still cut through the noise. But in most situations, strong visuals remain the main driver of attention and brand recall—making it essential for advertisers to prioritize what’s seen before what’s heard.

Key Takeaways

• Unseen is unsold – If your ad doesn’t capture attention visually, it won’t be effective.
• Visuals drive recognition and comprehension – They are processed faster and more universally than audio.
• Most ads are watched on mute – Visuals must be strong enough to carry the message without sound.
• Audio enhances but doesn’t replace visuals – It can amplify emotional impact but is too subjective and context-dependent to be the primary focus.

At junbi, we specialize in ensuring that your ads are optimized for the biggest impact, focusing on the key factors that drive attention, brand recognition, and processing ease. In an increasingly cluttered advertising landscape, making your visuals work as hard as possible is the key to standing out.

Want to see how your ads measure up? Reach out to us, and let’s make sure your brand captures attention where it matters most. Happy testing!