Despite strong evidence that a brand’s country-of-origin (COO) affects consumers’ brand evaluations and behavioral intentions, consumers are often reluctant to admit this influence. Challenging the proclaimed irrelevance of the COO concept, the present study of Marc Herz & Adamantios Diamantopoulos, presented in Koblenz, assesses the phenomenon of COO cue usage denial – an unconscious defense mechanism applied by consumers to maintain an acceptable self-image. Using an experimental study (N=300) with a COO change scenario – whereby the brand origin is changed through an alleged company takeover – the impact of COO knowledge and COO cue usage on consumers’ cognitive and affective evaluations, purchase intentions, and word of mouth is explored.