How Color Differentiation Shapes Luxury Evaluation: Converging Evidence From Neural and Self‐Report Data

ABSTRACT The present research examines how color differentiation shapes not only consumers' immediate evaluations of products but also their expectations about how long those products will remain appealing. In luxury markets, where value is closely tied to perception of timelessness, subtle visual cues may influence anticipated length of ownership and use. Study 1 combines fMRI and self‐report measures to show that exposure to lower‐differentiation color composition is associated with greater activation in reward‐related brain regions (including bilateral nucleus accumbens and the anterior cingulate cortex) and with higher liking, choice, willingness to pay, and perceived length of product use. Importantly, neural reward responses predict downstream behavioral intentions. Study 2 provides evidence consistent with the proposed role of chromatic timelessness: lower color differentiation increases perceived chromatic timelessness, which is associated with greater liking and, subsequently, with stronger choice and long‐term use intentions. Study 3 establishes a boundary condition, showing that these effects are driven primarily by consumers low in sensation seeking. Together, the findings contribute to research on visual design and consumer inference by linking the degree of color differentiation within the bundled color composition to reward processing, timelessness perceptions, and individual differences, while offering actionable guidance for luxury brands seeking to foster enduring consumer value.