Beauty and the brands: the interplay of celebrity attractiveness, brand envy, and social comparison in shaping masstige brand passion in hospitality

Using source credibility theory and social comparison theory as theoretical lenses, this study investigates the relationship between attractive celebrity endorsements (e.g., from showbiz and sports industries) and consumers' passion for masstige brands. Additionally, we explore consumers' social comparison orientation as a potential boundary condition for the indirect positive effect of attractive celebrity endorsements on masstige brand passion, via the mediation of brand envy. To investigate these hypotheses, we conducted three studies using data from hospitality consumers. Our findings indicate that attractive celebrity endorsements have a significant impact on masstige brand passion, mediated by brand envy. We also found that attractive showbiz celebrities have a greater positive impact on brand envy and consumer passion for masstige brands compared to attractive sports celebrity endorsers. Furthermore, our research reveals that consumers with a high social comparison orientation are more likely to become passionate about masstige brands when exposed to attractive celebrity endorsers promoting those brands. These findings have practical implications for brand managers in the hospitality and tourism industry, who can leverage attractive celebrity endorsers to increase passion for masstige brands, particularly among consumers with a high social comparison orientation.