Anger-inducing ads may be an effective marketing strategy, but it has long-term negative effects

The rolling ball misses the platform a second time. A man falls to his knees as he is swarmed by enemies. The screen flashes a big red cross as the three remaining tiles refuse to fit within the puzzle. These are just a few examples of the Instagram mobile gaming ads circulating at the moment. Since social media has become an integral part of most individual's lives, it is one of the easiest forms of marketing.

Through the seemingly endless sea of advertisements and product placements, a new marketing trend has emerged in the world of mobile gaming ads. On social media platforms such as Instagram, ads have begun featuring purposefully bad gameplay as a form of rage-baiting. Games such as Helix Jump, Aqua Park, Logicus, Screw Jam- Puzzle Game and so on employ this strategy with captions such as 'Many Failed Before!' and 'Harder Than It Looks' (Ebony Community, 2024, Logicus, 2024).

Appealing to Emotions

Emotional marketing has been a powerful tool in ad campaigns over the years. Appealing to the emotions of the consumer makes a personal connection between the consumer and the product (Roberts, 2024). Emotional marketing has also been attributed to impulsive and illogical purchases (Vrtana & Krizanova, 2023), leveraging our natural responses to various emotions to drive action.

Rage baiting is a form of emotional marketing. The aim of these is to provoke players - frustrating or angering them into downloading an app. This simple strategy can be quite powerful in increasing downloads. By showing gameplay that makes 'stupid' and unavoidable mistakes within a game, advertisers drive a need to correct these actions. This article explores the psychological mechanisms behind the effectiveness of rage bait. It is designed in a way to increase the emotional arousal of the viewer.

In the case of advertising, this would be by 'provoking' individuals with sub-par gameplay which is presented as a challenge to do better. This generates the emotional need to interact with the stimulus. Making avoidable errors and ignoring obvious solutions compel the audience to do it themselves, harnessing anger as a motivator to act impulsively. Thus, rage bait increases the likelihood of interaction with the ad. Research shows that individuals are more likely to engage with high-arousal content as compared to low-arousal (Li et al, 2020). Rage-baiting capitalises on this human tendency.

Psychological Mechanisms

Visual cues are strongly associated with increasing arousal and, rage bait, especially in this format, can trigger certain psychological mechanisms that cause the reaction desired by marketers (Dewaele & Moxsom-Turnbull, 2019). As mentioned above, the rage bait present in Instagram ads increases the emotional arousal which is a strong motivator for action. This frustration caused by the ad is an excellent method of 'hooking' the audience. Doom scrolling has been associated with dopamine (DoomScrolling: Breaking the Habit, 2024). The aim of marketers is to hold one's attention for as long as possible and prompt action (Spinta, 2024).

Another reason for the increased engagement is cognitive dissonance. Cognitive dissonance is caused by the inconsistency between one's beliefs and actions (Sande & Zanna, 1987). The apparent simplicity of the game versus the poor gameplay creates discomfort in the mind of the viewer. According to the theory of cognitive dissonance, individuals are driven to perform in a way that resolves the incongruity (Sande & Zanna, 1987). Thus, by creating this gap, marketers convince consumers that they need to try playing the games themselves. This also gives rise to the competence theory in individuals wherein individuals are more likely to engage in activities where they believe they can demonstrate their skills (S Horn, 2013). Consumers can achieve satisfaction through social comparison, which is the tendency of individuals to compare their success to others (Cherry, 2024). Watching a failed gameplay motivates individuals to attempt the game themselves and this creates a feeling of superiority when they succeed where the ads could not.

Lastly, the Zeigarnik Effect dictates that individuals are more likely to recall incomplete tasks more often than completed ones (Nickerson, 2023). Since most mobile game advertisements portray a failed game, individuals are more likely to be irked by it and feel compelled to complete it themselves. The memory of the game also stays long after they have seen the advertisement. This embeds the game into the consumer's memory, increasing the likelihood of downloading it.

Ethical Considerations

If rage bait is such a useful tool, then why is it that not all advertisers employ this strategy? Despite the effectiveness of this, there are several ethical concerns. Manipulating the viewer's emotions, especially through negative emotions can have harmful effects. Research shows that increased rage in individuals can be attributed to social media (Cordis, 2021). Firstly, rage bait advertisements are exploitative, preying on viewers' emotions and using psychological tactics to provoke irritation. This method of marketing can leave viewers feeling emotionally mistreated and with a sense of mistrust towards online content.

Another point of contention is the target audience for social media advertisements. Ninety-five per cent of teenagers (13 to 17) have reported using social media (Social Media and Youth Mental Health, 2023). Exposing youngsters to high-impact negative arousal can be harmful for them over a prolonged period. It can promote impulsivity and irrationality in their behaviour. Furthermore, it leads to addictive behaviour as teenagers download games to prove themselves. Not just that, this also promotes shallow, short-term engagement since rage baiting creates an immediate high arousal response but does not foster genuine interest. This dampens the quality of user interactions. Lastly, such ads can desensitise individuals towards anger, driving them to seek extreme content to feel engaged.

As rage bait continues to dominate mobile game ads, it is crucial to explore its long-term implications and ethical concerns, especially in the case of younger consumers. While rage bait may be an effective marketing strategy by capitalising on frustrations and impulsivity, it also contributes to long-term negative effects rather than creating impactful experiences. Long-term exposure to anger-inducing ads can aid in fostering addictive behaviour, impulsivity and short-term engagement.

The normalisation of such manipulative tactics can also lead to mistrust in digital content, diminishing the quality of online interactions. By understanding these strategies, users can protect themselves from the potential harm of engaging with rage baiting and marketers can begin creating a more genuine digital experience.

Authors: Prof. Garima Rajan, Faculty of Psychology, FLAME University and Muskaan Dhingra, Undergraduate Student - Psychology Major, FLAME University.