Pink sincerity: post-postmodernism and double appropriation in marketing

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper argues that popular culture can teach marketing how to incorporate ideological perspectives. Through a rhetorical analysis of the movie Barbie, focusing on a post-postmodern narrative strategy of irony and sincerity, the paper demonstrates how the movie integrates critical and celebratory feminist perspectives with commercial perspectives on the Barbie doll. We argue that Barbie is an ambiguous and contextually sensitive text, which includes both critical and celebratory perspectives on Barbie and Mattel, as well as cultural commentary on feminism and marketing. We operationalise this post-postmodern narrative strategy as double appropriation and argue that, in the case of feminism, it specifically plays out as pink sincerity. We suggest the concept of double appropriation and pink sincerity has implications for brand’s sincere ideological engagement.