Prada Placement: A Content Analysis of High Culture Goods in Gossip Girl (2007)

1. Prada Placement:A Content Analysis of High Culture Goods in Gossip Girl (2007) By: Carly Zagaroli

2. Research Questions • Based on product placement in the show Gossip Girl (2007), what are the underlying themes and messages being promoted to young female viewers? • What kinds of products are Gossip Girl (2007) characters promoting to viewers? • How are Gossip Girl (2007) characters promoting products to audience members?

3. Thesis • The product placement in Gossip Girl (2007) promotes the values of the dominant culture to young females; the main value promoted is the consumption of high culture and upper-class goods.

4. Literature Review • Advertising and Product Placement • Smythe (1954) • Audiences act upon program content • Miller (1988) • TV as an effective corporate tool to push consumption • Andersen (1995) • Advertisers lead viewers to a specific product • Stern and Russell (2004) • Studied individuals with high marketing knowledge

5. Literature Review • Youth and Consumption • Maccoby (1951) • Investigated effects of television on children • Hartley (1970) • Television is passively learned by children • Braun (2000) • Greater recall of products if placed within a show • Quart (2004) • Media exposes teen females to a life a luxury

6. Literature Review • Attitudes About Consumption • Alper and Leidy (1970) • Television as a tool to shape viewers’ attitudes • Weigel and Jessor (1973) • Children’s behaviors and attitudes in relation to the conventional norms and values of the time • Shrum and O’Guinn (1997) • Viewers’ perceptions of reality in relation to time watching television • Heckler, Russel, and Norman (2004) • Viewer/character relationships on the show Friends (1994)

7. Consumption Theory • Veblen (1899) and Bourdieu (1979) • Veblen’s “Conspicuous Consumption” • Lavish spending on goods and services • Purpose of displaying socio-economic status • Appear in higher classes-filters down to lower classes

8. Consumption Theory • Bourdieu’s “Taste as a Sense of Distinction” • Social class is revealed by one’s preferences and tastes • Economic Capital • Cultural Capital • Embodied Capital • Objectified Capital • Institutionalized Capital

9. Methodology • Quantitative Content Analysis • Random sample of episodes • 20 Episodes coded-2 seasons (10 per season) • Name of episode, season, and episode number • Product count • Name of product • Type of product • Location of product • Character(s) in scene with product • Age of character(s), gender, and attitude toward product • Any phrases from the characters that are relevant to research

10. Strengths/Weaknesses • Strengths • Coding can be easily replicated • Inexpensive research method • Large number of episodes coded • Weaknesses • Limited to one show • Not able to generalize to men • Unable to identify the effect of product placement on the viewer at home

11. Findings • 241 total products placed in 20 episodes coded • 97 products in first season, 144 in second season • Males-55 products • Females-139 Products • No character-33 Products • Positive attitude towards 30 products • Neutral attitude towards 200 products • Negative attitude towards 11 products

12. Season 1 vs. Season 2 Product Types

13. Adults vs. Teens Product Types

14. Findings Teen Males vs. Teen Females in Percentages

15. Discussion • Teen females promote majority of products • Largely female audience • Technology, clothing • Most products promoted with neutral attitude • Veblen’s argument on who constructs “High Culture” • Young Females viewing the consumption of high culture goods as a sense of normalcy on the show

16. Thank you! • Questions?