This thesis investigates how brand films use emotion to influence viewer decision-making, perception, and trust, bridging a gap in traditional advertising analysis. It presents a multidimensional lens that connects story, brand values, culture, identity, and social involvement to emotive experience. Methodologically, it triangulates: (i) close readings of three brand films that specify how audiovisual and narrative elements work separately and together to solicit emotions and compose an overall emotional experience; (ii) semi-structured interviews with brand-film professionals covering definitions of brand film, practices in promoting brands, and practitioners' feelings as viewers; and (iii) a reception study (focus groups) mapping participants' initial reactions, subsequent thoughts and behaviours, and their critical discussion.
Across the corpus, emotional impacts are organized by three interconnected mechanisms—narrative identification, audiovisual immersion, and socially coded value frames —— that mediate alterations in perceived relevance, authenticity, trust, and decision-readiness. The thesis contributes (1) theoretical findings from close readings that link image, sound and narration to discrete affects and composite emotional experience; (2) subjective findings from interviews indicating that value identification, interactivity, authenticity, associative cueing, and fulfilling emotional needs are regarded as the principal levers for eliciting emotion; and (3) empirical findings from reception study that describes how audiences interpret, negotiate, and respond to emotional cues. These elements work together to establish an integrated model of emotion-to-action in brand-film reception, as well as practical advice for creating emotionally engaging brand films without using overt persuasive tactics.
