“Beauty” versus “threat”: how awe influences the desire for luxury goods

Luxury brands often incorporate threatening natural imagery that evokes negative awe into marketing communications to shape consumer perceptions of the brand. Can such imagery actually make luxury products more appealing to consumers? Across six studies, we find that negative awe elicited by threatening imagery enhances consumers’ desire for luxury products. This occurs because negative awe induces loss of control. Furthermore, the enhancing effect is stronger when marketing communications emphasize symbolic (vs. functional) value or when the products are public (vs. private) goods. These findings highlight the unique role of negative awe in shaping luxury consumption and provide practical guidance for luxury brands to strategically leverage natural imagery in their marketing communications.