Brand attachment is widely regarded as a positive concept in marketing because it strengthens consumer loyalty, increases repeat purchases, and enhances long-term relationships between consumers and brands. Nevertheless, recent perspectives on the dark side of branding suggest that strong emotional attachment may also generate negative consequences, including compulsive and impulsive buying behaviors. Despite the growing importance of this issue, limited research has explored the harmful outcomes of intense emotional consumer–brand relationships.

Accordingly, this study investigates the dark dimensions of brand attachment and their effects on unhealthy purchasing behaviors. The research focuses on three key dimensions of brand attachment—brand passion, brand prominence, and brand distress—and examines their relationship with irrational consumer behavior. In addition, the moderating role of consumer income and education is analyzed. This study is applied in purpose, descriptive in nature, and quantitative in design. Data were collected from 309 respondents through both online and face-to-face questionnaires using random sampling among followers of selected brands.

The findings reveal that all three dimensions of brand attachment significantly contribute to compulsive and irrational purchasing behaviors. Moreover, education and income did not moderate the relationship between brand attachment and unhealthy purchasing behaviors, although in some cases they showed a direct association with impulsive buying. The study contributes to a deeper understanding of the negative consequences of consumer–brand emotional relationships and provides implications for consumer protection and responsible marketing practices.