Taking Pride in Vegan Consumption: A Construal Level Theory Account of Ad Message Appeal and Future Self Connectedness

ABSTRACT Despite growing interest in vegan products, research examining the motivations, underlying psychological processes, and boundary conditions that drive consumer preference for vegan products remains limited. Drawing on theories of temporal self and appraisal theory, we find that an immediate message appeal (e.g., animal welfare), as compared to a future outcome message appeal (e.g., environmental benefits), leads to higher preference for vegan products. Anticipated consumption pride, but not guilt, mediates this relationship, highlighting the role of positive emotions in shaping ethical behavior. Furthermore, we examine how aligning the temporal orientation of advertising message appeals with individuals' construal mindsets, as primed by their connectedness to their future selves, enhances preference for vegan products. Grounded in construal level theory, we find that consumers with weaker connections to their future selves are more responsive to immediate impact message appeals, whereas future outcome message appeals are more effective for consumers with high levels of future self‐connectedness. Empathy, anthropomorphism, and egoistic and social consequences are ruled out as alternative process explanations. Our work contributes to research on vegan consumption, ad message framing, consumer emotions, and construal level theory.