The current research examines how luxury companies may effectively extend into the vintage goods resale market by leveraging their brand value and aligning with consumers' desires for responsible consumption through effective marketing communication strategies. The relationship between luxury and sustainability has been extensively studied, but the market for resale of vintage luxury products has received less attention as a possible hub for these two concepts. The literature highlights several factors driving the consumption of luxury vintage goods that align with sustainability; for this reason, we have decided to focus on this aspect and, in particular, to study how the resale of vintage luxury goods can serve as a strategic opportunity for brands to meet consumer needs for sustainable yet authentic luxury experiences. The main idea of the paper is to investigate the effectiveness of different marketing communication strategies (durability, uniqueness, and sustainability appeals) on consumer purchase intentions for vintage luxury products. The results demonstrated that customers' intentions to purchase and recommend the brand were most positively impacted when the sustainability and circular economy benefits of vintage luxury products were emphasised. Though it didn't differ much from the environmental appeal, communicating the exclusivity and uniqueness of these vintage products also demonstrated potential in stimulating purchase and recommendation intent. Yet focusing solely on durability and longevity did not resonate as strongly compared to sustainability and uniqueness messaging. Interestingly, the overall attitudes towards the brand or product line were not considerably impacted by the various appeals, indicating that the brand's established reputation may play a more important role in influencing perceptions in general. This findings contribute to the existing literature on luxury brand extensions by exploring effective communication strategies specifically for vintage product lines. Results show the importance of aligning marketing narratives with evolving consumers’ desires around sustainability and exclusivity to drive purchase behavior for these unique offerings; and offer a guide for luxury brands that aim at positioning themselves as leaders in responsible luxury consumption.
