Sustainable Brand Placement, A Framework for Communicating Sustainable Brands’ Dual Benefits in Movies and TV series

Abstract

Abstract: This thesis focuses on how sustainable brands’ dual benefits could be communicated through brand placements in movies and TV series. Although, companies strive to communicate sustainability, barriers such as the attitude-behaviour gap and discursive confusion persist in the consumer society, negatively impacting the potential of sustainable consumption. Brand placement could presumably be used as a solution to overcome these problems, as scholars have found that media in general, and movies and TV shows in particular, could potentially promote sustainable brands. A qualitative multiple extensive case study has been conducted, and in-depth, semi-structured interviews have been applied and comprehended using thematic analysis. The findings show that clarity, naturality, humour and identity association are factors which ought to be considered when communicating sustainable brands dual benefits through brand placement in movies and TV series. Together these aspects build up the Sustainable Brand Placement Model.