The webinar is a part of the Aleksanteri Alumni Talks series, and in this session, Associate Professor Olga Gurova (Aalborg University) presents her study ‘Cultural branding’ meets feminism in Russia: Reebok’s #BeMoreHuman campaign.
Reebok, the global sportswear and footwear brand, launched its #BeMoreHuman campaign in Russia in 2019. The campaign turned to be controversial and caused ‘online firestorm’ among the consumers, marketing professionals, fashion industry representatives, activists, influencers, and other actors.
The use of acute social issues in advertising campaigns by brands is known as ‘cultural branding’. In the case of Reebok’s campaign, the company offers a particular view on gender identity. Yet, gender identity has a contingent character. In her talk, Associate Professor Gurova shows how and why this contingent character of gender identity should be taken into account when global brands enter various national markets.
Drawing from poststructuralist discourse theory of Laclau and Mouffe’s (2001) and applying it to the discussion around Reebok’s #BeMoreHuman campaign in Russia, the presentation will analyze the online firestorms that it triggered. The discussion will revolve around different meanings of gender identity that various actors articulate.
The talk is based on a work in progress for an article co-authored with Tatiana Romashko from the University of Jyväskylä, Finland.
The presentation will be held in Zoom on Tuesday 15 June at 15:00-16:15 (EEST, GMT +3 hrs). Olga Dovbysh, Postdoctoral Researcher at the Aleksanteri Institute, will act as discussant for the paper.
For registration to this webinar and Olga Gurova’s bio, please click here.