Consumer Response to Patriotic Ads for Domestic Versus Foreign Brands in Contexts of International Sporting Events: The Role of National Identity Activation and Group Emotion.

This article examines how the activation of national identity (NI) through international sporting events influences consumer responses to patriotic advertising, focusing on the role of group-based emotions—specifically happiness and anger—and the corporate origin of the advertised brand (domestic vs. foreign). The study finds that both happiness- and anger-eliciting contexts increase favorable consumer responses to patriotic ads, but the effect is stronger when happiness is elicited. Additionally, while NI activation in a happiness context enhances responses to patriotic ads regardless of brand origin, in an anger context, consumers respond more positively to domestic brands than to foreign brands. These findings highlight the importance of emotional context and brand origin in shaping consumer reactions to patriotic marketing during international sports events and offer practical guidance for advertisers on timing and targeting patriotic appeals.