Abstract
In advertising, brands often communicate passion through statements such as, “We love what we do.” This study tests whether such communication of passion positively influences consumers’ product and brand evaluations. Data from three experimental studies suggest that the mere statement of brand passion in advertising indeed leads consumers to rate both the product and the brand more positively. In line with theories of advertising signaling and emotional contagion, the positive effects of brand passion seem to be driven by higher perceived brand efforts as well as spillover of passion from the brand to the consumer.