Veronica L. Thomas, Old Dominion University

Kendra Fowler, Youngstown State University

Influencer marketing has evolved from a niche social media tactic into a core component of contemporary brand communication strategies. During this time, research on influencer marketing has proliferated, helping to define and broaden our conceptualization of influencers, while providing key insights into how influencer marketing functions, and situating influencer marketing more broadly within society.

At the same time, the influencer marketing landscape is undergoing rapid transformation. Advances in generative AI, the emergence of synthetic and virtual influencers, evolving platform governance structures, and the increasing professionalization of creators raise important questions about whether dominant assumptions, frameworks, and empirical regularities continue to hold. Many widely cited findings were developed under technological, cultural, and platform conditions that are now shifting in fundamental ways.

As a result, the field faces an inflection point. While continued refinement of established effects remains valuable, there is a growing need for research that moves beyond incremental extensions and instead rethinks how influence operates, who influencers are, and how value is created and contested in contemporary influencer ecosystems. This includes revisiting core constructs, interrogating emerging managerial challenges, and introducing new theoretical lenses capable of capturing these changes.

In this special issue, we call on researchers to move beyond continued incremental contributions and instead to focus on broader questions and truly novel insights. Such insights may be gleaned by examining influencer marketing through a new theoretical lens, considering how technological, societal, or cultural shifts have altered the influencer landscape, or exploring emerging managerial challenges and strategic implications that will alter how advertisers will utilize influencer marketing in the future.

We encourage authors to build on prior work while also critically revisiting core assumptions in the literature. At the same time, we caution against submissions that primarily replicate well-established findings without offering meaningful theoretical extension or new boundary conditions.

The Journal of Advertising Research invites proposals for this special issue aimed at advancing theoretically grounded, methodologically rigorous, and managerially relevant insights into how influencers shape advertising and marketplace dynamics.

Potential topics

• How are deepfakes and synthetic media altering how consumers process and engage with influencer marketing?
• How are influencers incorporating AI tools into content creation, audience management, and monetization, and how do these practices reshape influence?
• How do influencer collectives, creator economies, and platform governance structures reshape influence and value creation?
• What are the power dynamics that occur across influencer–brand–platform relationships?
• How has the influencer ecosystem changed, or how does it need to change, to address increased opportunities for influence beyond social media platforms or the use of AI tools to facilitate content creation?
• How is influence extending beyond traditional social media into commerce, entertainment, education, and hybrid digital physical spaces?
• How do influencers function as brands, entrepreneurs, and marketing organizations rather than merely as endorsers?
• What competitive threats do influencers face from other creators, platforms, AI generated content, or brand owned media?
• How do influencers adapt, reposition, or professionalize as their audiences, technologies, and revenue models evolve?
• How can influencers themselves be protected from exploitation, burnout, harassment, or reputational harm?
• How should firms design influencer strategies across different stages of the customer journey and across multiple platforms?
• How does influencer marketing effectiveness vary across cultural, geographic, and market contexts?
• What strategic trade-offs do firms face between reach, authenticity, control, and risk in influencer partnerships?
• How should brands evaluate influencer fit, performance, and spillovers in increasingly algorithmic environments?
• How do misinformation, manipulated content, and brand safety risks emerge and spread within influencer ecosystems?
• How can influence, engagement, and persuasion be more accurately measured in dynamic, algorithmically curated environments?
• How can field experiments and platform-based data be leveraged to enhance external validity?
• How can researchers capture spillover effects, halo effects, and cross-platform influence in influencer campaigns?
• What new metrics or analytical approaches are needed to study influence at scale and over time?
• How should advertisers select influencers to fit their specific strategic needs?
• Are existing influencer typologies still relevant, or are new classification frameworks needed?
• Where do existing theories of persuasion, social influence, and communication fall short in explaining consumer–influencer relationships today?
• How should foundational theories be extended or revised to account for AI-mediated and platform-driven influence?

Timeline

• July 1, 2026: Submission window opens
• October 12, 2026: Manuscript deadline

Kacy Kim, Bryant University

Junghoon Moon, Seoul National University

Lamberto Zollo, University of Milan

Riccardo Rialti, University of Siena

Food and beverage advertising has long emphasized nourishment, affordability, and convenience. Yet this perspective no longer captures contemporary consumption trends or the complex role of advertising. Many consumers adopt dietary regimes—even without medical necessity—as expressions of identity and self-esteem. Advertising reflects this shift by positioning consumption of "healthier" options such as gluten-free snacks, keto-friendly products, vegan substitutes, or diet beverages as lifestyle choices tied to self-image. Campaigns for plant-based milk, for example, highlight wellness and modernity, appealing to aspirational goals beyond nutrition. Beyond individual identity, advertising also conveys cultural and social values: halal- and kosher-certified products underscore cultural continuity, while fine wines, gourmet chocolates, and craft spirits are framed as markers of refinement and status. Increasingly, campaigns link food to place-based identity, such as agritourism promotions that emphasize heritage, authenticity, and local cuisine.

Shifting consumer priorities—driven by health, sustainability, and ethics—are reshaping advertising strategies. Nutrition-conscious messages highlight claims such as sugar-free, zero calories, or high protein. Simultaneously, there has been an increase in lawsuits being filed against food companies over health claims and regulatory scrutiny has increased. In this environment, more research on consumer response to health claims and the regulation of such claims is needed. In addition, updated research on the long line of work of health information on nutritional labeling is needed.

Indeed, research suggests that promoting healthier choices remains challenging: studies on default nudges in snack consumption show that while unhealthy defaults strongly influence decisions, healthy defaults often fail to shift behavior. Sustainability-oriented campaigns highlight packaging innovations such as reusable, recyclable, or biodegradable materials, while brands increasingly emphasize organic, natural, and farm-to-table authenticity. Initiatives addressing food waste, such as "ugly produce" subscription boxes, are also gaining traction. At the same time, brands showcase investments in robotic greenhouses and AI-controlled agriculture to signal innovation and environmental responsibility. Against this backdrop, ethical consumption is now seen through a critical lens. Consumers scrutinize health and sustainability claims while questioning whether advertising fosters transparency or risks "greenwashing" and "health-washing," raising concerns about how persuasion and responsibility should be balanced.

Parallel to these developments, advertising touchpoints are undergoing profound transformation. Traditional media are ceding ground to digital ecosystems that enable hyper-personalized, interactive campaigns. Food and beverage advertisers now engage audiences through TikTok and Instagram reels, AI-generated recipe content, AR/VR tastings, and phygital in-store experiences. Influencer marketing has become central, from Mukbang videos that offer vicarious eating satisfaction to celebrity chefs who shape trust and credibility. Campaigns increasingly feature AI–human collaboration, blending algorithmic efficiency with cultural sensitivity, while sensory strategies such as ASMR eating sounds and sizzling visuals immerse consumers in food experiences.

Beyond soundscapes and playfulness, visual symbols and anthropomorphic cues also shape perceptions; for instance, smiley faces in restaurant logos can trigger fast-food associations and reduce perceived healthfulness. More broadly, fun and playfulness remain central to engagement, with recent research conceptualizing "fun advertising" as predictable, creative, or wild, blending reality and fantasy in ways that resonate with consumers.

In this fragmented and ethically sensitive environment, one-size-fits-all campaigns are no longer sufficient. This special issue invites contributions that examine the evolving role of advertising, promotion, and communication in food and beverage marketing. We especially welcome work that addresses underexplored cultural and societal perspectives, as well as the role of advertising in stimulating pro-social behaviors such as reducing food waste, encouraging plant-based diets, and supporting sustainable agriculture.

Potential topics

• Sustainability and pro-social appeals in food advertising (e.g., eco-friendly packaging, plant-based diets, food waste reduction)
• AI and digitalization in food advertising (e.g., personalization, predictive analytics for targeting, generative AI in creative production, AI–human collaboration)
• Virtual influencers and AI-driven brand ambassadors
• Algorithmic bias, fairness, and inclusivity in AI-powered targeting
• Data privacy, trust, and consumer acceptance of AI-driven food advertising
• Influencer and social media advertising (e.g., Mukbang, celebrity chefs, and co-creation, live-stream commerce)
• Immersive and experiential food advertising (e.g., AR/VR tasting, hybrid in-store activations, branded pop-ups)
• Sensory and symbolic persuasion (e.g., ASMR, soundscapes, anthropomorphism, emojis, playful cues)
• Consumer behavior and psychology in food advertising
• Consumer identity, culture, and lifestyle in food advertising (e.g., dietary regimes, cultural and religious values)
• Aspirational and status signaling in food advertising (e.g., luxury foods, fine wines, gourmet products)
• Consumer response to nutritional labeling (e.g., interpretation of health claims, wellness framing, and persuasive effects)
• Ethics, responsibility, and transparency in food advertising (e.g., trust, greenwashing, health-washing, targeting vulnerable consumers)
• Regulatory issues in food advertising (e.g., advertising to children, health and sustainability claims)
• Advertising strategy and effectiveness
• Cross-cultural and global perspectives in food advertising

Timeline

• July 1, 2026: Direct submission window opens
• August 31, 2026: Full paper submission deadline

Eunju Ko, Yonsei University

Teresa Sádaba, ISEM Fashion Business School, Universidad de Navarra

Carmen Valor, Universidad Pontificia Comillas

The luxury sector is undergoing a profound transformation, marked by complexity, volatility, and new societal and technological challenges. Traditional growth models show signs of fatigue, while institutional pressures push brands toward more authentic commitments to sustainability, ethics, and inclusion. Simultaneously, luxury brands face a rapidly shifting competitive landscape, with changes in global markets, consumer expectations, and technological innovation.

In this context, advertising is central to redefining the identity, desirability, and legitimacy of luxury brands. As Ko (2020) noted in a previous International Journal of Advertising special issue, the study of luxury advertising requires continuous theoretical and methodological renewal. Building on that foundation, this special issue seeks to advance conceptual, empirical, and interdisciplinary insights into how luxury advertising is being reimagined through artificial intelligence (AI), emerging technologies, influencer ecosystems, and sustainability. We especially invite contributions that explore the tensions between tradition and innovation, authenticity and automation, exclusivity and accessibility, and symbolism and data-driven personalization.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and related technologies are reshaping luxury advertising by enabling hyper-personalization, predictive analytics, and novel creative outputs. From generative content to immersive AR and metaverse campaigns, these tools extend luxury's narrative potential and promise new consumer experiences. Yet research highlights ambivalence in consumer responses: AI-generated advertising can appear inauthentic and misaligned with luxury's aura of craftsmanship and artistry. Success often depends on trust and perceived humanness, with consumers more receptive when AI is positioned as augmenting rather than replacing human creativity. This suggests that the integration of AI into luxury advertising not only offers opportunities but also introduces tensions that demand deeper theoretical exploration.

We invite research that advances theoretical and empirical understanding of how luxury brands can adopt AI without eroding symbolic value or authenticity. Relevant questions include how AI-generated avatars and chatbots alter perceptions of brand aesthetics, how predictive modeling balances personalization with transparency and privacy concerns, and under what conditions immersive technologies (NFTs, AR filters, metaverse campaigns) enhance rather than commodify the luxury experience. Current evidence remains fragmented, highlighting opportunities for deeper investigation of cultural, ethical, and aesthetic implications.

Influencers—whether human, virtual, or AI-generated—have become central to luxury advertising, shaping consumer aspirations and brand legitimacy across digital platforms. Their effectiveness, however, is contingent on credibility, authenticity, exclusivity, and cultural context, raising persistent tensions in luxury communication. While collaborations with influencers can amplify reach and relatability, over-commercialization risks diminishing attention, trust, and distinctiveness. At the same time, AI-powered tools increasingly influence this ecosystem—identifying influencers, generating personalized recommendations, and even producing content. These innovations complicate the balance between technological precision and the symbolic codes of luxury, highlighting an urgent need for systematic inquiry.

We welcome studies that clarify how different types of influencers—celebrity, micro, or virtual—shape luxury consumers' perceptions, and how effects vary across platforms, cultures, and generations. Key questions include how storytelling fosters parasocial ties, how authenticity can be preserved in AI-mediated collaborations, and how influencers interact with institutional pressures such as regulation and sustainability expectations. Advancing this line of inquiry requires not only testing effectiveness but also theorizing influence in a landscape where human creativity, algorithmic personalization, and aspirational symbolism intersect.

Research on sustainable advertising has yielded insights into framing, cues, and consumer responses, as well as unintended outcomes such as skepticism. Yet a decade after Taylor's calls for more research on green and luxury advertising, significant theoretical gaps remain. We lack guidance on how luxury brands can credibly design sustainability communications that align aspirational and ethical values. Progress requires moving beyond 'what works' to explaining why and under what conditions messages resonate, and examining both short- and long-term outcomes.

We invite research that reconceptualizes sustainable advertising as a mechanism not only for achieving marketing goals but also for advancing consumer well-being, social good, and environmental progress. Key questions include how to sustain consumer motivation post-purchase, what consequences follow eco-friendly luxury consumption, and how advertising can strengthen volition to bridge the intention–behavior gap. Emerging practices such as minimalist appeals and 'quiet luxury' illustrate pathways toward less materialistic lifestyles, but mainstream adoption remains elusive. Understanding which brand characteristics enable these shifts is an urgent research need.

Luxury's associations with craftsmanship, authenticity, and durability provide a platform for credible sustainability positioning. Yet tensions persist when practices such as recycled materials or fair labor standards conflict with luxury's symbolic codes of exclusivity. Future research should examine message strategies that integrate sustainability without diluting aspirational value and assess whether long-term equity gains offset short-term trade-offs. While much attention has focused on framing effects, higher-order execution formats—storytelling, branded content, interactive experiences, or influencer collaborations—remain underexplored.

AI, influencers, and sustainability are not independent forces but interdependent dynamics reshaping luxury advertising. AI-driven personalization transforms influencer practices; influencers amplify or undermine sustainability claims; and immersive technologies alter how consumers interpret exclusivity, ethics, and authenticity. Understanding luxury advertising thus requires integrative perspectives that connect these domains. We especially welcome interdisciplinary and cross-methodological submissions that bridge these themes to advance both theoretical and practical knowledge.

Potential topics

• How can influencers disclose data-driven targeting practices while preserving transparency and trust?
• How do AI-generated avatars and human influencers co-create content, and what balance sustains authenticity and aspiration?
• In what ways does AI-enabled personalization enhance luxury advertising without undermining exclusivity and symbolic value?
• How do AI-powered influencers and proliferating collaborations shape consumer trust, differentiation, and purchase decisions?
• How do platform-specific affordances (e.g., Instagram, TikTok, WeChat) shape storytelling, authenticity cues, and parasocial ties?
• How do different types of influencers (celebrity, micro, virtual, AI-generated) shape perceptions of authenticity, aspiration, and brand legitimacy?
• In what ways does the proliferation of influencer collaborations affect consumer trust, attention, and differentiation in luxury markets?
• How do AI-powered tools for influencer identification, personalization, and content creation alter the dynamics of luxury influence?
• How do influencers interact with broader institutional forces, such as regulation, ethics, and sustainability expectations?
• Under what conditions do sustainable luxury communications operate effectively, and why?
• How do sustainable advertising strategies influence consumers beyond purchase—shaping post-purchase satisfaction, long-term loyalty, and lifestyle adoption?
• How can luxury advertising integrate sustainability (e.g., recycled materials, fair labor) without diluting aspirational value?
• Which execution formats (storytelling, branded content, live events, influencer collaborations) most effectively balance marketing and societal objectives?
• How can luxury brands use communication to encourage minimalist consumption ('buy less but better') while maintaining aspiration and desirability?

Timeline

• August 31, 2026: Manuscript submission deadline for direct submissions to the International Journal of Advertising