Seduced by “fakes”: Producing the excessive interplay of authentic/counterfeit from a Baudrillardian perspective

• DOI: 10.1177/1470593119870214
• Publication Date: 2019-08-20T04:03:41Z
• Authors: Joel Hietanen; Jeff B. Murray; Antti Sihvonen; Henrikki Tikkanen
• Keywords: Commodification; Consumption; Ambivalence

Authenticity has often been considered to be a key theme in contemporary consumer culture. One of its manifestations is how branded market offerings can maintain authentic meanings, especially increasingly saturated with counterfeit substitutes. By following Baudrillardian perspective, we focus on fashion objects the “branded luxury” category problematize sanctity authentic/counterfeit distinction. We argue that marketing literature generally attempts normatively and impose distinction ways obscure complexities this conceptual interplay. posit instead normative accounts attempt sanctify extant orders global capitalist markets, luxury consumption should recognize excess meaning semiotic interplay commodified meanings. Any view morality thus “ambivalence” “seduction” as intensive qualities.