Abstract

Cultural branding theory assumes that iconic brands are made by leapfrogging a cultural status quo and capitalizing on an opposing cultural discourse.. Brands position themselves by taking a stance against a dominant cultural narrative. This creates two types of cultural positioning on each side of an ideological divide. This present thesis examines how a brand like Savage X Fenty practices cultural branding by reconciling the two sides (rather than opposing them) and functionally bridging the ideological gap. The findings emerge from qualitative data analysis based on 625 pages of newspaper articles from 2005-2019, a netnography of lingerie brands over the course of a year, and the archives of Savage X Fenty’s social media presence. In doing so, two ideo-typical lingerie brands were conceptualized: the Bombshell and Body Positive brands. I contribute to the extent literature by showing how cultural branding can operate by bridging opposing cultural narratives, rather than taking a stance against a dominant narrative. I show how Savage X Fenty was able to reconcile the gap between these brands by blending their goal, offering products that covered and blended elements of the two brands and working with a wide variety of ambassadors. The brand’s founder, pop star Rihanna, served as a catalyst for the brand’s success. This brings in a human element to the existing literature on cultural branding in marketing. These results suggest there is a capability to capitalize on bridging cultural divides as well as creating iconic brands out of person-brands.