The intersection of political activism and brand advertising
[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] The following document is a Master's thesis completed in accordance with graduation requirements for the Masters of Arts in Strategic Communication at the University of Missouri. This document explores the use of political activism in brand advertising, defined broadly as brand promotions that take stances on social-political issues that align with the brand's consumers and stakeholders. Research follows a qualitative visual analysis methodology in analyzing a selection of brand advertisements that qualify as political activism in brand advertising and were released between December 1, 2016 and February 1, 2018. This thesis leverages framing theory as a guide to investigate this communication phenomena and situate the concepts of brand activism, corporate social responsibility and advocacy advertising in the cultural context preceding the 2016 presidential election. These results inform the use of message framing in a relatively new context, namely, the use of political activism in brand advertising, as well as provide practical insights into political brand activism.
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations