ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Commun.
Sec. Visual Communication
Volume 10 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcomm.2025.1584156
Visual Storytelling and Cultural Connection in GCC Social Media Advertising
Provisionally accepted
- College of Mass Communication, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Social media is now the primary point of brand message, especially for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)-a region where rich cultural history intersects with frenetic internet usage. This study investigates the impact of social media ad visual storytelling on consumer behavior and brand attitude across the GCC. We conducted a quantitative cross-sectional survey (online questionnaire with a set structure) of 231 users across all six GCC countries to assess user preference for visual design elements (e.g., use of color, imagery, and cultural symbolism) and platform choice. Key findings show a strong preference for culturally appropriate, authentic, and narrative-driven visual content. Rich visual ingredients, specifically Instagram and TikTok, were discovered to be the most apt platforms for reaching GCC audiences with these narratives. Visual variables such as strong colors, real-world imagery, and familiar cultural icons-combined with emotional storytelling appeals-contributed immensely towards consumer attention, engagement, and trust in promoted brands. Overall, our results underscore how context-specific visual narrative strategies can play a vital part in boosting consumer participation and positive brand disposition in the GCC social media space.
Keywords: Visual storytelling, Social media advertising, GCC, Cultural relevance, Consumer engagement, brand perception
Received: 04 Mar 2025; Accepted: 29 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 M. Mohamed. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Khaled Mostafa M. Mohamed, College of Mass Communication, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.