400%
StatBrand & Creativity
Surprise amplifies emotion by up to 400% and imprints the moment on memory
Surprise lasts around one 125th of a second but amplifies the emotion it rides on, positive or negative, by up to 400%. A noradrenaline spike imprints the surprising moment on memory, which is why surprising ads are remembered when merely pleasant ones fade.
Source
The Startling Power of Surprise - eatbigfish x Uncensored CMO webinar (Cannes 2026 session) (2026)
Adam Morgan (eatbigfish), Jon Evans (Uncensored CMO)
00:08:30-00:09:21, neuroscience summary (Schultz, Luna; MIT/University of Amsterdam) via Morgan & Evans
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