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An Exploration of Promotional Culture As Contemporary Mythology

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An Exploration of Promotional Culture As Contemporary Mythology Automotive Apotheosis: An Exploration of Promotional Culture as Contemporary Mythology Kateryna Kurdyuk Submitted in total fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Media and Communications (by Thesis Only) March 2011 School of Culture and Communication University of Melbourne © Kateryna Kurdyuk 2011 Abstract This thesis proposes that contemporary promotional culture is the mythology of today. This hypothesis was first put forth by Marshall McLuhan in his 1951 book, The Mechanical Bride: Folklore of Industrial Man, where he astutely observed that myth and poetry have been effectively colonized by promotional culture. Although it has been mainly overlooked by the academic community, this book is a cornerstone of the field of popular culture and mass media. In it, McLuhan was one of the first scholars to detect that folklore of industrial society is determined, not by education or religion, but by the mass media (McLuhan 1951). Over the decades, many scholars from various academic fields have observed the same trends, concluding that the myth-making faculty is thriving in contemporary society, and situating the strongest mythopoeic forces in worlds of entertainment and promotional culture. Nevertheless, these notions have not been sufficiently explored. Hence, in order to uncover the prevalent myth and poetry operating in contemporary society we must turn to promotional culture, and particularly to advertising, which McLuhan believes is as equivalent to collective society as dreams are to the individual (McLuhan 1951, p. 97). Myth is defined in this work as a universal narrative that reflects humanity’s collective unconscious projections and contains primordial forms, or archetypes. This thesis argues that advertising is mythopoeic and utilizes primordial archetypes. The focus of this thesis is automotive adverting, which draws on the mythology of the car as a godlike entity in contemporary popular culture. McLuhan’s observations detailing the colonization of myth and poetry in contemporary society inform a critical methodology which this thesis builds upon and modernizes. The resulting version of mythical criticism is a valid method of enquiry. It reveals underlying meaning in contemporary promotional texts that could not otherwise be observed by using methods such as semiotics alone. i © Kateryna Kurdyuk 2011 Declaration This is to certify that: (i) the thesis comprises only my original work towards the Masters, (ii) due acknowledgement has been made in the text to all other material used, and (iii) the thesis is 49,779 words in length, inclusive of footnotes, but exclusive of tables, maps, bibliographies and appendices. Kateryna Kurdyuk ii © Kateryna Kurdyuk 2011 Acknowledgements It is a pleasure to express sincere gratitude to the following individuals who made this research possible: Prof. Sean Cubitt, whose supervision has provided me with guidance, encouragement and support whilst allowing me the autonomy to work in my own way. Dr. Carolyne Lee for her useful guidance and advice, especially for her help with the methodology. My friend Laura Griffin for her insightful advice and aid in all matters related to this thesis and otherwise. I am especially grateful for her meticulous reading of my thesis. Special thanks for her welcoming company throughout my time in Melbourne. I would also like to thank my friends Emina Hurtic, Janne Martnes, Melissa Contreras, Linn Karstensen, Marie Aadnesen Vaag, Adrian Katagiri, Eirik Soltveit, Allan Ng and Philipp Grunewald for their excellent company, entertainment, delicious weekend meals and encouragement. And above all, my parents for their continual encouragement, support and financial assistance, without which this research would not have been possible. iii © Kateryna Kurdyuk 2011 Table of Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................ 1 Chapter Outline ......................................................................................................................................................... 3 Chapter 1: Literature Review ............................................................................................................................................... 5 Marshall McLuhan and The Mechanical Bride .......................................................................................................... 5 Contemporary Critical Literature ............................................................................................................................ 11 Chapter 2: Conceptual Framework ................................................................................................................................. 22 Myth, Archetype and Folklore ................................................................................................................................. 22 Myth ........................................................................................................................................................................ 22 Archetype ............................................................................................................................................................... 28 Folklore .................................................................................................................................................................... 35 Poetry ...................................................................................................................................................................... 37 Promotional Culture and Advertising ...................................................................................................................... 41 Promotional Culture ...................................................................................................................................... 41 Advertising .................................................................................................................................................... 42 Chapter 3: Methodology ....................................................................................................................................................... 48 Selection of Case Studies ......................................................................................................................................... 56 Chapter 4: Automotive Literature Review and Case Studies ................................................................................. 58 Section 1: Automotive Literature Review ............................................................................................................... 58 Automotive Rituals ........................................................................................................................................ 60 Automotive Fetishes ..................................................................................................................................... 60 Mechanical Bride: Sex, Death and Technology ............................................................................................. 65 Automotive Anthropomorphism ................................................................................................................... 68 Automotive Totems ....................................................................................................................................... 76 Automotive Mythology ................................................................................................................................. 77 Section 2: Case Studies Analysis and Discussion .................................................................................................... 81 Case 1: Honda Fit and Jazz ............................................................................................................................ 81 Honda Fit ......................................................................................................................................... 82 Honda Jazz....................................................................................................................................... 89 Case 2: Mercedes-Benz E-Class ..................................................................................................................... 94 Case 3: Lexus RX 350 and 450h ..................................................................................................................... 99 Case Studies Discussion ............................................................................................................................... 104 Conclusion and Reflections ............................................................................................................................................... 108 Appendix A: List of Case Studies Advertisements .................................................................................................... 125 iv © Kateryna Kurdyuk 2011 Introduction “What happens when the ad makers take over all the popular myths and poetry?” - Marshall McLuhan, The Mechanical Bride, 1951, p. 117. According to Marshall McLuhan, modern individuals are trapped inside a maze whence they cannot escape without the rational detachment that will allow them to become logical spectators of their own circumstances and supply them with “the thread which will lead [them] out of the Labyrinth”
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