Brands as cultural entities - Under-cover advertising and added social value

Abstract

Brands always have a link with social
and cultural practices, but now they have
assumed entirely an identity as cultural
actor in a euphemism for their market
intentions. This article describes a paradoxical ‘dépublicitarisation’ (under-cover
advertising) that makes the message of
brands public without making them look
like advertising. Two examples are examined in detail: the media appropriation
of brands, capturing media qualities by
adopting their forms (newspapers,
movies, etc.), and the creation of events
in the public space. By re-qualifying
themselves as cultural actors, brands
aspire to transform their target audiences
to maximize the social value of their market offer