ABSTRACT

Upcycled products are the result of the transformation of used products (e.g. a vinyl record) into new products with a different function (e.g. a vinyl-clock). In our research, we argue that a high distance between the function of the new product and the function of the old product boosts the upcycled products´ appeal. This is because the distance in functionality between the new and the old product increases the perceived product´s creativity. Moreover, we show that this effect is reduced for consumers who are less “open to experience”. These findings shed light on a driver of appeal of the unexplored and growing category of upcycled products and provide guidelines to marketers for the design of upcycled products.