Art and Brand Contamination

Albeit often perceived as two worlds apart, low culture and high culture are increasingly converging to collaborate in mutually advantageous ways. Brands—including the name, term, sign, symbol, or combination of them that identify the goods and services of a seller or group of sellers, and differentiate them from those of the competitors—are the new territory where high culture and low culture co-exist and collaborate, creating new possibilities of cross-fertilization and hybridization between the two. Through the analysis of successful examples coming from different industries, this chapter aims to highlight how brands have blurred the distinction between low culture and high culture. On the one hand, brands can use the heritage of the arts world to gain authenticity and legitimate themselves in the eyes of consumers and the society. On the other hand, artists and arts organizations, such as museums and other art institutions, can indulge in popular culture in order to become appealing to younger target markets and enhance their brand awareness and image.

Black Lives Matter vs. All Lives Matter in the Generation of “Hashtivism”

This chapter investigates the hashtag battle #BlackLivesMatter vs. #AllLivesMatter and considers its ability to promote cyber race. It assesses the implications of constructing racial boundaries within the online space, its impact on identity politics and the viability for cyberspace to exist as a post-racial epoch in the digital age. This study takes an affordance and architectural approach to its analysis of BLM and ALM, incorporating a thematic analysis of the hashtags on Twitter. The research uses a theoretical underpinning of framing theory to analyze tweets from the ALM and BLM twitter timelines. It demonstrates that the hashtag battle, although, configured, and framed by the mainstream media as one that encapsulates a race war of Black vs. White, that actually, findings reveal that the battle consists of the tension and friction between mainstream media frames and what is termed digitized frames.

A Film Analysis Related to Globalization and Capitalist Consumer Culture and Its Reflections on Advertising Industry

In this chapter, the changes in consumer culture and advertising industry are analyzed within the frame of globalization and capitalism through a French film 99 Francs, released in 2007. In the first section of this study the headlines of globalization and capitalist network, the effect of globalization on the consumer, advertisement and advertising industry, and the functions of advertising agencies as the head actors in advertising industry are dealt with. In the second phase of the study, the French film called 99 Francs is semiologically analyzed. Within this context, firstly general information and formal expression of the film; secondly, inspired by Barthes' semiological approach, an analysis on “denotation and connotation” is addressed. Human, object, and setting images in the film are handled in accordance with the progress in the field of consumer culture and advertisement in the globalization period. Consequently, the advertisement industry has an effective long-term role on providing a circulation of mass consumers.

How Do Cartoon Movies Construct Children's Consumption Habits for “Special Days”?

Cartoons, which are widely watched in childhood, are not only a means of entertainment but also a means of spreading certain ideologies, cultures, or habits. Cartoons, a product of popular culture, are also effective in determining consumption habits. From this point, a certain cartoon is analyzed in this study to see how consumption habits for special days are constructed. The sample of the study consists of a series created by Disney, Mickey Mouse's Clubhouse, and through purposeful sampling “Valentine's Day” chapter is chosen. The selected cartoon is examined through using semiotics analysis method. The findings of the current study indicated that the importance of Valentine's Day is emphasized through the use of feelings. The action of giving and getting a present is showed as a reason to become happy and the opposite situation is shown as a reason to be upset.

The Effect of Popular Culture on TV Program Genres Within Globalization Process

In the process of globalization, popular culture has spread all around the world far more easily via television. Following 1980s, commercial televisions increasing together with the dominance of liberal economy have operated in accordance with commercial logic, and therefore, television programs have been produced for upper ratings, accordingly for getting high advertisement profits. Together with globalization, television programs have rather focused on entertainment. Popular culture has influenced programme genres both in terms of making existing programs entertaining and emerging novel amusing program genres. In this chapter, following the discussions on popular culture, the increase in entertainment in television programs is generally discussed, and then, the increase in entertainment in television programs in Turkey in the process of globalization is analyzed.

Consumption in the Digital Age

In today's world, the digital environment has an influence on consumers' lives, in terms of attitudes, preferences, habits, likes and dislikes, and purchasing practices. It is also observed that throughout history, a variety of professionals have been utilized to influence the public. To the group of individuals who lead as celebrities, role models, or opinion leaders in the digital age, “influencers” have been added in. This chapter aims to examine the relationship between influencers and consumption. As a result of the research, it was revealed that most of the shares/posts had the name of a brand or product, tagged brand, or used related hashtags to direct followers to consumption. The findings also show that despite the use of a large number of brand names, a very small number of these posts have the emphasis of sponsorship, advertising, or cooperation. Finally, it was also found that despite the high number of followers, the interaction rate is very low.

Multiculturalism in Cinema in the Context of Popular Culture

The presentation of what the viewer wants and expects has turned cinema into a mass consumer industry, spreading into a universal space. Cinema is not merely to please the masses, but has been transformed into a multicultural business that carries a different intellectual meaning which is named as narrative or auteur cinema. As an auteur director, Ferzan Özpetek stands in highly unique place in the name of cultural wealth as a director. His cinema draws up in the thin line between being a popular cultural product and being a narrative, spiritual cinema product, and is considered as the most important feature that differentiates the concept of auteur from other cinema genres by focusing on the cultures of both countries. If the cinema industry returns to a differentiation between commercial and narrative types, film should create its audience by presenting its own cultural heritage, rather than exposing the same culture to the masses. It is the factor that nourishes the cultural variety.

Popular Culture and Iconology

This chapter intends to take a look at the concept of iconology with a focus on how it evolved into today's iconicity within the framework of cultural studies, media studies, and women's studies. The relation of icons to popularity and popular culture is paid special attention since icons are the best symbols of the zeitgeist of the era they belong to. The main theory of the literature study is taken from art history, that is Erwin Panofsky's study of iconology, and it is implemented into popular culture which can be summarized as a process of reading contemporary icons as works of art.

Self-Laundering for Marketing

In today's world, consumption brings contentment. Consumers are glad, thinking themselves as being wealthier and more prominent by buying and consuming more, whereas companies are delighted with the increased profitability resulted by higher production levels. However, given the data on economic and social inequalities in addition to environmental resources which are coming to an end, the happiness cannot continue forever. Therefore, in this chapter, the role of marketing in the formation of consumption culture and the concept of sustainability are reviewed. Moreover, the interaction between marketing and sustainability and what these two concepts can offer for each other is discussed. To guide the companies in forming sustainability strategies, practices of respectable and pioneer companies that are included in the Guardian's “Best Sustainability Practices in Business List” are presented.

The Diffusion of Mobile Telephony in Popular Culture

For a long time, popular culture has assumed a central place in the debate on media content and consumption. Popular culture invades the lives of people and influences the attitudes and consumption patterns. With the changing dynamics of society, individuals experience overwhelming impact of messages in form of images, texts, and sounds. Therefore, common cultures with massive appeal are cultivated and become popular, irrespective of style. This chapter on the diffusion of mobile telephony popular culture is built on existing knowledge to draw a background on mobile telephony. Related literature explained the global emergence of mobile technology and established that mobile telephones have diffused in popular culture. While considering the shortfalls and scholarship, the study concluded that technological innovations have contributed to the popularity of mobile phones, and in the same way, the consumption needs of people have made the practices a popular trend.