The Power of Active White Space in Brand Logo Designs: An Application of Processing Fluency and Construal Level Theories

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 experimentally investigated how varying proportions of AWS in brand 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. Managerial and theoretical implications are discussed.