Sustainable labels and storytelling − their unintended consequences on young Brazilians consumers’ attitudes toward chocolate ads

Purpose This study aims to analyze the influence of using sustainable certification labels and storytelling in chocolate advertisements on the attitudes of potential young Brazilian consumers from Generations Y and Z. Design/methodology/approach A between-subjects experimental study was conducted with 187 valid responses from potential consumers. The participants were divided into four independent groups, each exposed to a different treatment. The treatments varied based on the presence or absence of sustainable labels and storytelling. After exposure, the participants’ attitudes toward the advertisements were measured. Findings The results revealed that the use of sustainable certification labels in social media ads has a negative effect on consumers’ cognitive and affective responses. Additionally, the presence of storytelling in chocolate advertisements on Instagram does not significantly influence the attitudes of potential young Brazilian consumers in a general view, but its impact varies across groups with different levels of conative response, showing a negative relationship among highly conative consumers and a positive one among those with lower conation. Research limitations/implications This study expands the sustainable marketing literature by indicating that when the visual identity of the sustainable certification label is not clearly associated with sustainable semiotic aspects, the label can negatively influence the cognitive and affective responses of potential Brazilian chocolate consumers. Practical implications The results of this study highlight the importance for sustainable certification organizations of raising awareness about the meaning and significance of their labels. This underscores the need for public policies and educational programs that promote knowledge about sustainability, specifically regarding the role and importance of certification labels. Furthermore, this study emphasizes the importance of developing labels with a visual identity that clearly reflects sustainability aspects, thereby enhancing consumer understanding of their purpose. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the distinct contributions of using sustainable certification labels and storytelling to the attitudes of potential consumers.