New research from Omnicom Media Intelligence finds that 65% of U.S. consumers avoid advertising to some degree, using a range of tools to control when, where and how they encounter commercial messages.
The findings come from a multi-method study1 combining consumer survey research with behavioral measurement to examine not just whether consumers avoid advertising, but how and why.
The study, From Tuned Out to Leaned In: How to Combat Ad Avoidance, finds avoidance has evolved beyond blocking or skipping into active and passive behaviors. Consumers are paying for ad-free subscriptions, choosing platforms with fewer interruptions, turning to apps and AI for discovery, scrolling past ads, multitasking during commercial breaks and tuning out messages that feel irrelevant or repetitive.
“Ad avoidance is no longer one behavior or one type of consumer. It is now a mindset that cuts across a wide swath of cohorts and behaviors,” said Joanna O’Connell, Chief Intelligence Officer, Omnicom Media North America.
AVOIDANCE IS A SPECTRUM, NOT A SWITCH
Twenty-five percent of consumers describe themselves as very or extremely active in avoiding ads, while another 40% are somewhat active. Active avoidance includes choosing ad-free services, using ad blockers and skipping, muting, scrolling past or closing ads. Forty-one percent pay for subscriptions to avoid advertising, compared with 6% who actively block ads.
Passive avoidance is less deliberate. Consumers may turn to a second screen, redirect their attention or automatically filter out familiar, repetitive, or irrelevant advertising.
Fifty-five percent say they are increasingly using apps and AI instead of websites, with 71% saying they do so daily. Paid ad-free tiers give consumers another way to exert control, while many mix paid ad-free and ad-supported subscriptions. As consumers move between environments based on platform, content and value, ad avoidance is becoming a consideration across the consumer journey.
THE OPPORTUNITY IS TO MAKE ADVERTISING WORTH CHOOSING
Omnicom Media’s Connected Content research found 49% say a better advertising experience would improve their perception of a brand, while 30% say it would make them more likely to purchase. In the Ad Avoidance study, 84% say brands should experiment with new ways to connect, while 77% say brands that break through show up in innovative ways beyond traditional commercials and ads.
Behavioral testing found product placement, brand integration and augmented reality were described as innovative by 72% to 80% of consumers, compared with 50% for traditional TV commercials. The nontraditional formats also generated stronger positive emotional responses: happiness accounted for 23% of viewing time versus 19%, and surprise 15% versus 10%.
Forty-three percent are receptive to product placement and 53% enjoy seeing it. Half prefer digitally added brands in content to disruptive traditional breaks when the integration is seamless. Seventy-nine percent are more likely to remember a brand that creates sponsored content they enjoy than one they see in a traditional commercial, while 67% find brands in sponsored content they choose to watch more appealing than traditional commercials.
WHAT MARKETERS CAN DO NOW
Omnicom Media Intelligence identifies four responses:
- Make every exposure earn its place by using frequency, context, and creative so each exposure contributes something new.
- Design the experience, not just the ad, considering where and when a brand enters the consumer experience and whether it adds value.
- Expand the playbook with product placement, brand integration, sponsored content, immersive experiences, and emerging formats when they feel additive.
- Connect the disciplines with a shared strategic playbook, common objectives, and connected data from brief through measurement.
Traditional advertising remains a critical part of the marketing mix alongside experiences consumers choose, enjoy, and remember.
“There’s no single format that solves for ad avoidance,” O’Connell said. “The opportunity is to build a more connected brand presence that knows when to interrupt, when to participate and when to simply add something valuable to the experience.”
