The most important advert characteristics were deemed to be those that depict real life situations as, well as those centred around health. These resonated more than adverts that are action, sports, kids, car, sentimental, competitive, athletic or celebrity-based.

The study was undertaken with 40,000 individuals during August and September across EMEA, Asia Pacific, North America and Latin America.

In addition, the study reveals that word-of-mouth recommendations are the most successful, with 88% of people most trusting recommendations from people they know. 50% more people trust this channel compared with the lowest ranked channels, such as online banner and video adverts, those on mobiles or tablets, SMS adverts and search engine advertising. Even influencers did not fare as well as friends and family, with only 71% of people either completely or somewhat trusting this channel.

Another major finding revolved around the idea of selling the belief, not the product, with the study demonstrating an overall lack of trust in advertising unless from friends and family recommendation. Tobacco brand adverts were the least trusted, whilst food adverts were the most trusted overall. Insights from Nielsen show a shift to consumer trust in brands that authentically demonstrated robust brand values.

Cathy Heeley, international media analytics lead at Nielsen, commented: “It is no surprise that humour and real-life situations are leading the charge in content types that most resonate. We suggest that ads that touch the heart of what it is to be human will trump over others and keep us on a loyal customer journey.

“We are so bombarded with messages every day that it is hard for ads to breakthrough. The study shows that the values of the company behind the advertisement and their enduring ethics are just as important as the ad itself. Consumers care more about how brands are helping the world move forward. It is vital that today’s brands demonstrate their mission, vision and values – not just their product or service.”