Abstract
The impact of misinformation about climate change on public opinion has become a critical social issue. Literature suggests that narrative persuasion can contribute to increasing public engagement in the issue and induce behavioral changes. To examine the effect of narrative persuasion in the context of public service announcements (PSAs), we developed and tested a research model that included three mediators: identification, attitude toward the advertising campaign, and attitude toward the sponsor of the advertising message. Also, we added the type of storyteller (actual human scientist vs. virtual human scientist) as the moderator in the model. Our results show that an actual human evoked a higher level of identification than a virtual human. However, both storytellers can persuade audiences to have positive attitudes toward PSAs and the sponsor of PSAs that enhance their intention to share advertising messages and participate in climate change campaigns. The output of this research could be applied to the development of narrative-type advertising messages in various contexts, including PSAs and marketing communications.