The science behind the standard.
We do not run focus groups. We do not send surveys. We read the brain’s real electrical response to advertising, second by second, so we can see whether it is genuinely being encoded into memory and whether it is being linked to your brand.
This page explains what we measure, what the current research shows, and what we are still working to prove.
What We Measure
Five neural signals, captured by EEG
EEG is the tool that made this measurable. A cap of sensors reads the electrical activity of the brain, in real time, while a person watches your advertising. We do not ask them to rate it afterwards. We watch what the brain does while it is happening. From that signal we separate five things.
We can measure, second by second, whether the brain is attending, engaging, encoding and linking that encoding to your brand. We can show which frames are landing and which are being lost. We can compare a 3D execution against its matched 2D equivalent on the same signals, in the same market.
Attention
The brain’s focus. The entry point.
Engagement
Emotional and cognitive investment in what is on screen.
Memory Encoding
Whether the brain is doing the work of storing the message.
Cognitive Load
The effort of processing. Too much of it and the message never lands.
Brand Linkage
Whether the memory being formed is attached to your brand, or floating free of it.
Brand linkage is the one most creative development misses. An ad that generates attention and engagement, but where the brand is absent at the peak moment, produces a memory of the experience rather than a memory of the brand. That is a common finding, and it is expensive.
The Third Dimension Research Programme
An independent EEG study.
The current research programme was conducted by Grey Mattr, our neuroscience partner, in collaboration with 3Rock Global. It set out to answer a single question: when 3D advertising outperforms 2D, why does it, and by how much.
The study is authored by Dr Shannon Bosshard and the Grey Mattr team and is published in WARC.
What the Research Found
Key findings from the paper
Finding 01
In the highest-performing matched creative pairs, Monte Carlo simulations favoured the 3D execution in more than 95% of comparisons.
Published in WARC.
Finding 02
When 3D wins, the lift is significant
| Metric | Within the ad | Typical lift | Against matched 2D | Typical lift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATTENTION | 86% | 11% to 41% | 73% | 20% to 55% |
| MEMORY ENCODING | 57% | 10% to 92% | 58% | 15% to 75% |
| ENGAGEMENT | 64% | 27% to 154% | 65% | 51% to 360% |
| COGNITIVE LOAD (reduced) | 75% | 5% to 26% | 73% | 10% to 37% |
Attention is not memory. Across the dataset, stronger attention did not consistently translate into stronger memory encoding. The executions that moved memory were those where depth, object separation and forward movement directed attention to the brand at its peak moment, rather than to the spectacle around it.
Finding 03
3D moments rank among the top 20% of the archive
When benchmarked against Grey Mattr’s wider library of hundreds of audio and visual assets, 3D moments consistently ranked toward the upper end of performance:
vs. Audio Benchmarks
3D moments outperformed 88% of audio assets on attention
3D moments outperformed 90% of audio assets on engagement
vs. Visual Benchmarks
3D moments outperformed 83% of visual assets on attention
3D moments outperformed 85% of visual assets on memory
3D moments outperformed 90% of visual assets on engagement
Moment-level comparison: 3D moments benchmarked against whole assets from other formats.
Finding 04
Attention is not the same as memory
The single most important finding of the study, and the one that changes the buying question. Across the dataset, higher attention did not reliably translate into higher memory encoding. The industry has been optimising for the wrong thing.
Finding 05
The strongest 3D executions simplify rather than disrupt
They work because they create clear focal hierarchy, reduce ambiguity, and direct the viewer’s gaze to branded moments. The mere inclusion of 3D is not what drives the outcome. Brand presence at the peak moment does.
The Team and Partners
Behind the measurement
Lead Scientist
Dr Shannon Bosshard
Founder and CEO of Grey Mattr, a consumer neuroscience company applying EEG to understand how advertising builds memory and influences future behaviour. His research focuses on attention, memory formation, and brand growth, and has been presented internationally through organisations including the ARF, IAB and WARC. He leads the neuroscience programme underpinning the Third Dimension research in partnership with 3Rock Global.
EEG Measurement Partner
Grey Mattr
Consumer neuroscience company specialising in objective measurement of advertising effectiveness using EEG and behavioural science.
Commercial Application
3Rock Global
We turn the diagnosis into intervention: teaching brands what the data shows, and, where the diagnosis warrants it, rebuilding executions to fix what the measurement found.
The Paper
The third dimension
The third dimension: Why 3D advertising is reshaping attention, memory, and brand impact is published in WARC, 31 July 2026. Independent research conducted by Grey Mattr in partnership with 3Rock Global.
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