my guess:
intuitively, expected sales is a function of cost or more precisely variable cost;
Sales=F(cost); (1)
when advertising cost is a % of expected sales, this variable cost becomes a function of expected sales,
Cost=F(Sales); (2)
putting 1 and 2 together, it's complicated to assess whatever you use (ROA or ROI) to evaluate the advertising effect. putting in words, how much you spend today in advertising determine the future revenue; whilst the future revenue determines how much you spend today.