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Myths, symbols and signs embedded in modern life that naturalise hidden ideologies and implicit meanings that affect our thought and behaviour (Barthes 2009), entered the field of marketing and consumer research with Levy’s (1981) inaugural paper. Myth today is an integral part of marketing theory and practice. Advertisers draw on myths to smooth over cultural contradictions and anxieties and make consumers feel better about their identities (Holt 2004). But, as Thompson (2004, p. 162) writes, “mythologies are not just for advertising anymore.”

One could think of myth as a deeply held belief that is shared by a group of people (Levy 1981). Myths are often described as  commonly told tales that hold a social group together (Hirschman2000; Luedicke, Giesler, and Thompson 2010; Stern 1995). These stories (e.g. royals have blue blood) are passed down through millenia, inspiring writers and artists as versatile as Shakespeare and Walt Disney. As Stern (1995, p. 183) points out, myths “are as old as humanity, yet constantly renewed to fit contemporary life.” Myths are central to all cultures across history, and are deeply embedded in the cultural DNA of the West (see, for example, Fry 2017). Consumers invoke myths as a response to the vast levels of disenchantment that saturate modern life (Brown, Kozinets, and Sherry 2003). Alongs idecultural narratives and ideologies, myths also constitute an essential topic in CCT (Arnould and Thompson 2005). However, few attempts have been made to synthesise the stream of consumer research on marketplace mythology.

We begin with a brief review of previous research on market-place mythology, highlighting the distinction between consumer myths and commercial mythmaking. The findings are presented around nine interrelated themes that were derived from 301 articles published in the JCR. We conclude with suggestions for future re-search on marketplace mythology in terms of brand storytelling, co-mythologisation, and the role of myth in the polarisation of consumer culture.