This study explores the customer insights behind punishing/rewarding brands associated to a political ideology (BAPI) and extends theories of brand avoidance and political consumerism. Study 1 analyzes attitude toward BAPI through a qualitative study and in study 2 the relationship between identification, disidentification, moral avoidance, religiosity and willingness to punish/reward BAPI with the mediating role of attitude is tested via structural equation modeling. The findings reveal that consumers punish the brands they oppose politically, when there is no self-congruence and believe these brands distract the well-being of the society by polarizing and conservatizing it. Moreover, while religious commitment did not have any effect on attitude and willingness to punish/reward BAPI, the results confirm that consumers who attend religious services are found to have a tendency to punish BAPI. This is the first study intended to empirically test these relationships and understand the underlying reasons behind punishing and rewarding BAPI. •Attitude toward BAPI does not mediate the relationship between religious commitment and willingness to punish/reward•Religious commitment does not have any effect on attitude and willingness to punish/reward BAPI•Consumers who regularly attend religious services are found to have a tendency to punish BAPI