Merchandising/Marketing/Retailing: Branding

Effects of Active White Space on Aesthetic and Prestige Appeals of Brand Logos: Application of Processing Fluency and Construal Level Theories 

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Abstract

A logo is an essential part of brand identity. Active white space (AWS) has been incorporated in many brand logos with an assumption that it would help brand communication, but little empirical research has examined this assumption. To address this literature gap, this study investigated how varying proportions of AWS in brand logo stimuli, created by manipulating AI-generated logos, would impact consumer perceptions of the logos based on the processing fluency theory and construal level theory. An online experiment employing a 2 (AWS proportion: high vs. low) × 2 (logo design: designs 1 vs. 2) between-subjects design was conducted with a convenience sample of 233 Auburn University students. Results indicate that AWS proportion positively influenced consumers’ attitude toward a logo through enhancing the visual fluency and aesthetic appeal of the logo, while it did not impact perceptions of the psychological distance and prestige appeal of the logo.

Keywords: brand, logo, consumer, active white space, generative AI

How to Cite:

Tawseef, T. & Kwon, W., (2025) “Effects of Active White Space on Aesthetic and Prestige Appeals of Brand Logos: Application of Processing Fluency and Construal Level Theories  ”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 82(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.21848