Journal of Interactive Marketing, 22(2), 2-18.

Yoo, C. Y., (2008).

In light of the considerable findings that consumers do not pay attention to advertising, Yoo examines the role implicit memory plays in the effectiveness of ads.  A study was conducted in which level of attention was manipulated, and attitudes towards brands were measured.  The results indicate that positive attitudes towards brands increased regardless of the level of attention directed at the advertisement.  Moreover, while participants who received the implicit memory condition were not as likely as those receiving the explicit memory condition to include the target brand in a list of brands which they would consider when making a particular purchase, they were more likely to list the brand than those who had received no ad exposure.  This shows that exposure to ads, even while accompanied by low attention, can increase the role the advertised brand plays in consumption choices.  Thus, while focused attention on internet ads is ideal, even mere exposure to ads with minimal or no attention can have positive effects.  The author hypothesizes that this is due to implicit memory and priming effects, in which previously stored memory is unconsciously and unintentionally retrieved and utilized.

Yoo's article provides a response to alarmed reports that consumers are not paying attention to internet advertising.  While the study notes that audiences which are interested in and attending to advertising messages are ideal and should be sought after, it also refutes the idea that internet advertising which does not evoke this response is useless, ineffective, or a waste of money and space.  This is especially good news for advertisers considering some of the abysmal findings of other studies.  One of the key strengths of Yoo's work is that it provides not only findings, but also a theoretical framework rooted in previous psychological work which facilitates understanding of the findings.  This theory can in part explain some of the conflicting studies, some of which decry internet advertising as a lost cause and others which consider its fate not so hopeless or even downright promising.  The findings also provide a clear path for advertisers: continue to strive for increased attention to advertising, but meanwhile continue purchasing ad space because it is likely to do some good.

Alfred Hitchcocks "Rebecca" is an iconic Gothic romance adapted from Daphne DuMauriers famous novel, and was successful enough with contemporary audiences to win Best Picture in 1940. Constructed through Hitchcocks calculated, deliberate technique, the haunting absence of Rebecca serves as a focal point of mystery and desire in the film, subtly exploring the societal and sexual role of women and questioning the ideal definition of femininity.

Edwards, Kyle Dawson.  “Brand-Name Literature: Film Adaptation and Seiznick International Pictures’ ‘Rebecca’ (1940).”  Cinema Journal, Vol. 45, No. 3 (Spring, 2006), pp. 32-38. 

Nearly one third of films from the Classical Hollywood era were novel adaptations.  The film adaptation of Rebecca demonstrates how the flourishing of novels on screen results from a tangled combination of literary, commercial, historical, artistic, and social factors.  Filmmaking is by nature a collaborative art form, and the particular quality of the novel adaptation perfectly demonstrates the extent to which these multiple sources of inspiration can manifest themselves in film.

Adapting famous novels such as Rebecca to the silver screen has numerous advantages: the story can be streamlined with the assumption that much of the audience is familiar with the plot, an audience faithful to the novel can be assumed to be “built-in,” and the film is lent a certain degree of literary prestige.  When adapting a novel to film, however, a great difficulty is deciding what aspects of the literature to keep and emphasize, as literary subtleties treasured by the reader often fail to translate well to film.  

It is important for studios to profit both financially and symbolically, which is achieved by establishing a unique brand that allows the studio to cultivate relationships with prospective and current employees, industrial counterparts, and movie-going audiences. In constructing a brand, the first step for a studio is to identify and characterize the targeted audiences and adapt the quality of the film as well as the publicity to appeal to these intended spectators.  Seiznick International Pictures, the studio that made Rebecca, was a small studio that could not rely on the vertical integration employed by the larger studios.  Rather, they had to depend on theater chains which were often owned by competitors to spread and display Seiznick films.  Due to this disadvantage, Seiznick directed enormous energy at crafting a distinctive brand concept, one which would be stable and positive regardless of the success of individual films.  Thus, they introduced more commercial tie-ins than any other studio, marketing expensive products like furniture, wallpaper, clothing, and cosmetics.  The “Rebecca line” of makeup, for example was advertised as lending the ability to transform any woman into the beautiful, mysterious seductress, Rebecca herself. 

Seiznick International Pictures had met with great success for Gone With the Wind, and so focused on emphasizing the continuity between that film and Rebecca in order to convince audiences of the consistently high level of quality.  The studio also had to comply with the Production Code, forced to make adjustments to the plot such as portraying Maxim’s murder of Rebecca as an accident.  Thus, based on the crafting of a particular brand-concept, clever marketing toward a specific demographic, and compliance with the Production Code, Rebecca was a wild success for Seiznick International Pictures.

Advertising Age's list of top 200 Megabrands (measured by ad spending).

This article discusses how a brand extends itself and becomes a brand dominant in consumer culture.  It explores the boundaries of the brand and how the boundaries are created.