From Freud to Kendall Jenner : how luxury brands have adopted the rhetoric of dreams to entice young, new consumers without alienating loyal consumers

Abstract

This dissertation focuses on the marketing strategy adopted by luxury brands to expand their market share by targeting young adults. The thesis uses Kendall Jenner’s headlining editorial in Vogue’s September 2016 edition as a case study. Special attention is given as to why Kendall Jenner, a model with a large social media following was chosen by Vogue, and how the visual rhetoric in the advertising images make use of mythologies. The literature review provides an understanding of how endorsement deals persuade young adults, and why brands incorporate myths into their advert’s narrative. This information subsequently informs the semiotic analysis and the focus group questions. Through this triangulation of methods, patterns of the visual rhetoric adopted by luxury brands are mapped out. As the study progresses, the motif of dreams clearly emerges. The main observation is that by emphasizing the power of dreams and endorsing a model (Kendall Jenner) who has the mythical ability to communicate identitary values of luxury while embodying the goals and aspirations of young adults, luxury brands play to the starry-eyed ideals held by youths, and concurrently uphold the dream-like, luxurious qualities of their products. This leads to the tentative conclusion that by casting a model who has legions of young adult followers on social media, and making her the face of the dream narrative in their advertisements, luxury brands hit two birds with one stone. They gain the attention of her young adult followers, yet by outpricing them of the products she endorses, luxury brands counterintuitively increase brand awareness. This advances the dream rhetoric aimed at young adults of symbolising one’s achievement by consuming luxury goods. With this swift move, luxury brands concurrently affirm the privilege of consuming their products, thereby ensuring loyal consumers do not feel devalued and alienated.