Culture Jamming — Positively Swimming Against the Mainstream

Culture Jamming – a practice for the engaged Public

In the modern world where our social realities are continually shaped by the media—public and commercial bodies are no longer the only contributors. Now, counter organizations and individuals 'swimming' against the mainstream are gaining the increased power of autonomy. One such practice, Culture Jamming, a form of guerilla communication that hijacks a brand’s media presence by parodying their advertisements, has garnered significant interest from the academic field (Harold, 2007; Klein, 1999). Yet only recently have researchers recognized the importance of understanding the practice in a public relations perspective, as the rise of social media has magnified the impact of culture jams on the image of an organization (Janoske, Winkler & Harpole, 2018).  

The Incorporation of Social Media to mobilize the Individual

Culture jamming uses Social Media channels to receive the widest possible exposure but also to provide an outlet for more members of the public to join the conversation. By creating fake websites or a viral post, critical consumers can influence the brand’s online image unchecked by the brands monitoring powers (Edwards, 2018). Yet, there is the danger that instead of productive conversations, culture jamming unleashes a stream of hate messages encouraged by social media’s veil of anonymity. Therefore, I have to disagree with certain academic research that outlines successful culture jamming as dissent packaged in consent (Janoske, Winkler & Harpole, 2018). While it is important to openly question brands’ dubious practices, it can also be done with a positive agenda. In case culture jammers have unleashed a pack of social media users onto a brand, it is vital that they are taken seriously instead of being shut down, an endeavor, which will enrage the pack even more.

Negativity packaged into Positivity

While culture jamming often succeeds to grab attention, it is questionable whether the method is able to extend the public’s attention span beyond a viral post (Janoske, Winkler & Harpole, 2018). Nevertheless, one such post can create a lot of conversation and it is up to the PR professional to decide how to use such a stunt to their advantage. A recent case in a Texas McDonald’s shows how culture jamming can foster important conversations about a brand’s weakness, but also how the brand itself can turn a potential upset into positive publicity.

Two American-Filipino Students felt that their local McDonalds did not have enough Asian representation in their marketing. They created a fake McDonalds advertisement of themselves, snuck the poster into the restaurant and hung it up in the restaurant. After 8 weeks the poster was still up, unnoticed by any of the staff. When the students posted this on Twitter and it went viral, McDonald’s praised their initiative to spread diversity and even encouraged others to do the same.

                                                   Source: Jevh Maravilla Twitter (@jevholution)

For the full article and viral Twitter Post:

CNN Article

Jevh Maravilla Twitter Post

Extra Sources:

Harold C (2004) Pranking rhetoric: ‘Culture jamming’ as media activism. Critical Studies in Media Communication 21(3): 189–211.

Klein N (1999) No Logo: Taking Aim at the Brand Bullies. New York: Picador.

About the Author

Nathalie Enderle is a master student of communication science at the University of Amsterdam. Currently enrolled in the Pubic Relations elective she aims to embed creative writing into an academic environment through blog posts for PR professionals