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• ObjectivesAccording to the theory of the relationship between the consumer and the brand, this research aims to discover the mechanisms by which consumers approve, disapprove, or ignore brand activism campaigns from an affective and cognitive point of view. • MethodologyThis research analyses two brand activism campaigns, one social and the other environmental. It is based on a qualitative study protocol (36 participants), using the online Album On-Line (AOL) technique with 24 respondents, enriched by 12 semi-structured interviews. • ResultsThis study reveals: an emotional mechanism, psychological distance, and a cognitive mechanism, brand legitimacy. This research highlights the three pillars of legitimacy (moral, cognitive, and pragmatic). Furthermore, if the brand is perceived as being too far removed from the cause, consumers feel detached from the brand and question its legitimacy. • Managerial implicationsThese results suggest ways to mitigate the negative effects and enhance the positive impact of brand activism campaigns by (1) strengthening brand legitimization strategies and (2) reducing the psychological distance between consumers and the cause supported by brands. • OriginalityThis article draws on the conceptualization of the duality of consumers’ mental representations to offer a better understanding of the relationship between the consumer and the brand in the case of real brands.