The AEJMC Advertising Division (ADVD) invites submissions of original research papers that address a topic or issue relevant to our field. The Advertising Division accepts submissions in five paper categories, which are described below. Papers submitted to any category must be double-spaced and use 12-point Times New Roman or equivalent font. Submissions should follow APA or any other reference style. The maximum length for any paper is 30 pages, including tables, figures, and references. Any paper longer than 30 pages (not including a title page and/or abstract) will be disqualified and not assigned for review. Submissions with any residual identifying information will not be considered for review and will automatically be disqualified from the competition. Before uploading your paper, please exercise extra diligence to remove all author identification from the document, including any file properties or obvious references to self-citations. We recommend submitting your manuscripts at least a day or two before the deadline so you can check to make sure that the uploaded document does not contain any self-identifying information in its properties, as can happen sometimes, mysteriously, via “save as pdf” or because of some other technical issue. An early submission will allow all individuals to fully check submissions as they are entered into the system so that a resubmission prior to the deadline is possible. A paper may not be simultaneously under review with more than one division within AEJMC; with the AEJMC annual conference and any other academic conference; and/or with the AEJMC annual conference and any publication (e.g., journal, book chapter, etc.). As a condition of acceptance, one or more authors of any paper must agree to attend and present the paper at the AEJMC annual conference in New Orleans.
Open Research: Full papers submitted to the Open Research category must address a topic that is relevant to the field of advertising. Examples include (but are not limited to) advertising and media effects; analysis of ads and advertising content; cross-cultural, international and/or global advertising; agency management, structure and/or organization; and the economic, political, social and/or environmental impact of advertising. Research informed by and testing theories and/or using methods associated with quantitative, qualitative, or critical/cultural research perspectives is welcome in this category. The top three papers in this category will receive awards of $300, $200, and $100, respectively. For more information, please contact Dr. Mengtian Jiang, Research Chair, University of Kentucky, at mengtian.jiang@uky.edu, and Dr. Samuel Tham, Research Chair-elect, Colorado State University at samuel.tham@colostate.edu.
Sponsored Research – Webtoon Category: Webtoon is a mobile-first, vertical scroll storytelling platform engaging over 160 million monthly active users worldwide, including more than 20 million in North America. Average daily usage ranges from 26 to 38 minutes, with approximately 75 percent of North American users belonging to Gen Z. Its format combines serialized narrative delivery, AI-based content recommendations, and hybrid monetization models such as Fast Pass and Daily Pass. In collaboration with Webtoon, this sponsored category invites research examining how the platform’s storytelling format and fan-based community dynamics influence user perception, engagement, and adoption, particularly in the North American market. This category aims to establish foundational insights that advance scholarly thinking and may inform future platform strategies. Thus, it follows a slightly different evaluation standard from traditional submissions. Studies should demonstrate clear relevance to platform-specific practice and forward-looking insight, rather than solely theoretical contribution. Internal platform data is not required; studies may use simulated Webtoon-style stimuli, content analysis, surveys, experiments, interviews, focus groups, secondary data or conceptual/critical work. Top two papers in this category will receive awards of $300 and $200, respectively. The award is sponsored by Webtoon. For detailed eligibility requirements, submission formatting, recognition criteria, and suggested topic areas, please refer to the full Call for Papers here. For inquiries, please contact Anna Kim, Head of Advertising Division, AEJMC, at eunjink@usc.edu.
Graduate and Undergraduate Student Research: Full papers submitted to this category must be authored only by undergraduate or graduate students, including Ph.D. candidates, at the time of submission. Faculty members and postdoctoral researchers are ineligible to co-author papers submitted to this category. Faculty and student co-authored papers will be disqualified and should be submitted to the Open Research competition or other relevant categories. We welcome student research that is relevant to the field of advertising, is informed by theories and methods associated with quantitative, qualitative, or critical/cultural research perspectives, and tests these theories and methods. The top three student papers in this category will receive awards of $200, $100, and $50, respectively. This award is sponsored by Temerlin Advertising Institute at Southern Methodist University. For more information, please contact Dr. Quan Xie, Graduate Student Chair, Southern Methodist University, at quanxie@smu.edu.
Professional Freedom & Responsibility (PF&R): Papers submitted to this category should present research that explores concepts that would include the following: (1) free expression; (2) ethics; (3) media criticism and accountability; (4) diversity and inclusion; and (5) public service within the advertising industry. Free expression in advertising may include international, cultural, or political dimensions of communication. Ethics in advertising encompass areas such as data use, marketing to vulnerable audiences, including minors, the elderly, and the uninformed, as well as other emerging issues within the industry. The advertising industry has also received increased media criticism and calls for accountability; research examining topics such as regulation and industry responsibility is encouraged. Diversity and inclusion address questions of representation within the advertising industry, while public service focuses on advertising’s role in advancing social good. To further guide potential submissions, example topic areas may include, but are not limited to, equity and representation in advertising, ethical and responsible advertising, and social impact and accountability. Topics in any of the abovementioned areas will be welcomed in the submission.
Submissions may take the form of traditional research papers; however, commentaries, critical essays, and integrative literature reviews are also welcome. The top paper in this category will receive an award of $100. The top paper in this category will receive an award of $100. This award is sponsored by the A.Q. Miller School of Media & Communication at Kansas State University. For questions or more information, please contact Dr. Anan Wan, PF&R Track Chair, Kansas State University, at anan@ksu.edu.
Special Topics in Advertising: Papers are invited for submission to The Special Topics in Advertising competition. This year’s call focuses on “Generative AI and Creative Automation: Reimagining Creativity, Labor, and Control in the Age of Machine-Made Advertising.” Generative AI is rapidly transforming the creative landscape of advertising. From campaign concepting to scriptwriting, image generation, voice synthesis, and even video production, tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, Sora, and DALL·E are now integral to many creative workflows. As agencies and brands embrace these technologies, fundamental questions arise: What is the future of human creativity in advertising? Who owns AI-generated content? And how does automation impact labor, and originality? This special topic invites manuscripts that critically examine the role of generative AI in the advertising industry. We seek contributions that explore both the opportunities and the tensions this technology introduces, including case studies, theoretical analyses, qualitative and quantitative studies, and policy perspectives. Potential themes include (but are not limited to): AI-assisted creative development and campaign design; Human-AI collaboration vs. creative automation; Impacts on creative labor, authorship, and agency roles; Legal and IP implications of AI-generated content; Brand control, consistency, and risk in automated messaging; Consumer perception of AI-generated ads and narratives; Training bias, representation, and cultural implications in generative models. The top special topics paper author/s will be awarded $100, sponsored by the University of Florida Department of Advertising. If you have any questions or need more information, please contact Dr. Juliana Fernandes, Special Topics Track Chair, University of Florida, at juliana@jou.ufl.edu
Teaching and Pedagogy: This year, the Advertising Division will accept two types of teaching and pedagogy submissions: 1) advertising education papers and 2) Great Ideas for Teaching (GIFT) submissions.
Advertising education papers: Papers submitted to this category should present research that addresses a topic relevant to advertising education. Examples include (but are not limited to) approaches to or case studies about teaching a specific advertising course; innovations in teaching and pedagogy; use of technology in the classroom; assessment of learning outcomes; advising student groups and organizations; and review or revision of core courses or advertising curriculum. Commentaries about teaching philosophy will not be accepted. Papers submitted to the teaching competition will be considered for review by the Journal of Advertising Education. The top paper in this category will receive an award of $100, sponsored by the Department of Advertising and Public Relations at Michigan State University.
Great Ideas for Teaching (GIFT): GIFT is a submission that describes teaching strategies and tactics successfully implemented in advertising courses. Such strategies and tactics may include, but are not limited to, effective teaching techniques, course assignments, and other in-class activities. GIFT submission must include the following elements combined in one file. All authors’ information must be removed from all parts of the submission document.
1) a anonymized title page with the submission’s title and a maximum of five (5) keywords,
2) A 500-word summary of the teaching idea without the author’s information that must include the idea description, student learning objectives, and the justification of the selected teaching strategy, tactic, or approach to achieve the set learning objectives.
3) List of references (not included in the 500-word GIFT summary).
4) Appendix with any supplemental materials (e.g., assignment, activity, students’ feedback) that present the evidence of the idea's effectiveness and success.
Top GIFT submissions will be accepted for presentation at the 2026 AEJMC main conference and considered for publication in the Journal of Advertising Education as part of the Advertising Insights and Innovations section (reformatting for the journal submission might be needed). For more information, please contact Dr. Anastasia G. Kononova, Teaching and Pedagogy Chair, Michigan State University, at kononova@msu.edu.