By: Carly Zagaroli

Research QuestionsBased 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?

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.

Literature ReviewAdvertising and Product Placement

Smythe (1954) Audiences act upon program content

Miller (1988) TV as an effective corporate tool to push

consumptionAndersen (1995)

Advertisers lead viewers to a specific productStern and Russell (2004)

Studied individuals with high marketing knowledge

Literature ReviewYouth 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

Literature ReviewAttitudes 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 timeShrum 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)

Consumption TheoryVeblen (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

Consumption TheoryBourdieu’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

MethodologyQuantitative Content Analysis

Random sample of episodes20 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

Strengths/WeaknessesStrengths

Coding can be easily replicatedInexpensive research methodLarge number of episodes coded

WeaknessesLimited to one showNot able to generalize to menUnable to identify the effect of product

placement on the viewer at home

Findings241 total products placed in 20 episodes

coded 97 products in first season, 144 in second

seasonMales-55 productsFemales-139 ProductsNo character-33 Products

Positive attitude towards 30 products Neutral attitude towards 200 products Negative attitude towards 11 products

Season 1 vs. Season 2 Product Types

Adults vs. Teens Product Types

Teen Males vs. Teen Females in Percentages

Findings

DiscussionTeen females promote majority of products

Largely female audienceTechnology, clothing

Most products promoted with neutral attitudeVeblen’s argument on who constructs “High Culture”

Young Females viewing the consumption of high culture goods as a sense of normalcy on the show

Thank you!

Questions?