The study introduces brand lust as a distinct marketing construct, explaining it as an intense, desire-driven attachment characterized by an insatiable craving for a brand, which is distinct from other consumer brand relationship variables. Building on consumer psychology and hedonic consumption theory as the foundation, this research employs a rigorous partial sequential mixed-methods design, commencing with qualitative exploration and followed by quantitative validation. By looking at four focus group discussions with a discursive psychology approach, the study first identifies the core dimensions of brand lust, emphasizing its affective, sensory, and quasi-romantic underpinnings. Then, two surveys were designed: one with 210 participants to pretest the scale and the other with 487 participants to test and validate the Brand Lust Scale fully. Hedonism, idealization and compulsive desire served as the main elements after a 12-item scale was produced by using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Results show that the scale is effective and supports the idea that it distinguishes consumers well from others using it (e.g., people who love brands or are addicted to them). Extant theories are challenged because the findings show brand lust results from irrational feelings rather than being driven by belonging or the urge to use something. Besides developing a verified instrument, this research introduces methods for studying how brand lust leads to issues such as increased spending or compromising on ethics and provides insights for those working in luxury, fashion, and experiential consumer brands.

Brand Addiction, Consumer Brand Relationship, Consumer Behavior, Lusty Behavior, Compulsive Yearning, Emotional Arousal, Idealized Craving, Hedonic Desire