Republican Brands, Democrat Brands...
Betsy D. GelbUniversity of HoustonAlina B. Sorescu University of Houston
Might an advertised brand intentionally or unintentionally evoke association with one or the other of the major United States political parties? If so, what would prompt such an association? Those are the questions explored here.
The possibility appears inherently plausible, given theory from semiotics, which is defined as the study of 'hidden messages of environments, objects and cultural images,' (Solomon, 1988). After all, brands can be envisioned as specific animals, Levy demonstrated 15 years ago (1985). His research among consumers showed that in...