Spring 2021

Understanding audiences is crucial for successful ad campaigns. Thus, it is important for companies to strategically capitalize on their target audience’s identity, which is often shaped by their environment. Past research has examined the impact of communism on advertising, however there is no existing research specific to the fashion industry. This research seeks to understand how Berlin’s communist history impacts modern fashion advertising. The study examines markers for communism and capitalism in two multinational fashion campaigns, the Gucci’s Spring Summer 2016 campaign and Levi’s “Go Forth” campaign, both of which were shot in Berlin. Using a qualitative thematic analysis, this study finds that multinational fashion companies embrace the post-communist consumer identity through the combination of elements of nostalgia along with modern trends. These findings are significant for multinational fashion companies as they can better appeal to their target audience’s identity through the use of nostalgia, and further develop strong affinity for the brand. Mentor: Barbara Miller-Gaither

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A large body of literature shows the manner in which mega-events, such as the Olympic Games and the World Cup, are often covered by journalists without challenge (Roche, 2003; Rivenburgh, 2004). This study expands on that literature by investigating the manner in which journalists approached covering the crossroads of human rights conflicts and sport during the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. During the time of the World Cup, Argentina was run by a military regime in a country torn apart by violence. This study sought to find if journalists prioritized sports or human rights in their coverage over three time periods: two months before, the month during, and two months after the tournament. Using both a quantitative and qualitative comparative content analysis, the study examined news coverage in two newspapers, one from the United States and the other from France. The study found that, ultimately, French coverage of the Cup prioritized the political unrest within Argentina while American coverage focused primarily on the competition itself. Frames applied by journalists within the coverage included international reactions, subversion, and regime stability. Mentors: Glenn Scott and Barbara Miller-Gaither

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Past scholars have examined the fundamentals of journalism that were portrayed in Spotlight (2015) and All the President’s Men (1976), and the importance these films had to American freedom of press. This study delves further into the two films, and compares their portrayals of journalism and its fundamentals to how they are taught in college journalism classrooms. The research for this study comes from five in-depth interviews with college journalism professors from four different American universities. The films served as a backdrop to a deep discussion about their methods for teaching specific aspects of reporting to their students. After conducting the interviews, it was determined that there was a clear parallel between the portrayals of journalism fundamentals in both films and their place in these five professor’s classrooms. Additionally, there was clear consistency among all five interviews when it came to the most important fundamentals to teach journalism students in college classrooms. Mentor: Jane O’Boyle

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Films would not have the same emotional and visual impact on viewers without a cinematographer. Cinematographers are responsible for eliciting audience emotion through various camera techniques. They do not receive significant recognition from the general audience for their contributions to films. Emmanuel Lubezki is a contemporary filmmaker with many credits and awards to support his mastery in cinematography. This study analyzes six films that Lubezki shot for three distinct directors. These films each earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography. The findings suggest a feeling of naturalism to Lubezki’s visual style across all film titles. Mentor: Jane O’Boyle

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Authentic brand storytelling advertisements have proven to be successful in elevating a brand’s likability and consumer purchase intent. However, cues within these ads that indicate authenticity to consumers have yet to be identified. This research used focus groups to uncover consumer definitions of authenticity and identify what cues in brand storytelling advertisements signal authenticity to audiences. This study uncovered four patterns in advertisements that lead to perceived authenticity: consumer relatability, messaging indicating action, an appeal to empathy, and company self-awareness. This study benefits marketers and the advertising industry by identifying cues that help creators develop authentic brand stories. Mentor: Daniel Haygood

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Communications and public relations is a predominantly White dominated industry with shockingly low representation of people of color. After the resurgence of Black Lives Matter in June 2020, companies and agencies quickly took a stance, with many showing their support after intense pressure from stakeholders. Organizations such as the Diversity Action Alliance are building off of this momentum and aim to accelerate diversity and representation in the communications and public relations industry by holding these companies and agencies accountable. This study looks at the websites of organizations that signed on with the Diversity Action Alliance to evaluate how they publicly present their Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Based on quantitative data as well as a qualitative content analysis, this paper found that a large number of these companies did not have any diversity related content on their websites in October 2020. Of those that did, only about half had comprehensive information that described tangible steps they were taking to combat racial inequity in the industry. Mentors: Rochelle Ford and Jane O’Boyle

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With 11.1 million monthly readers of its print product – and 52.7 million social media followers online – Vogue is more than just a magazine, it is an iconic trendsetter and influencer. This study qualitatively analyzes election-year issues of Vogue magazine over the past 20 years to determine how the magazine has integrated cultural, political, and social topics into its content. This study looks at the September issues of Vogue because they act not only as the physically largest issue, but also the most important annual issue in the fashion industry. Through looking at both visual and written content, this study tracks the increase of progressive and diverse content within the pages of Vogue, demonstrating how the fashion magazine has responded to social progress and now sets the agenda for social, political, and cultural discussions. The findings show a wide variety of individuals featured in articles and in photoshoots, with noticeable increases in progressive content in recent issues of the magazine. Mentor: Laura Lacy

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