Femvertising as a Brand Activism Tool: An Analysis of the Film Barbie

Nuray Yılmaz Sert; Tuba Çevik Ergin; Ebru Yılmaz; Semih Kopuz

doi:10.16878/gsuilet.1669356

FR TR EN

Le femvertising comme outil d'activisme de marque : une analyse du film Barbie

Öz

Le femvertising est une approche publicitaire qui s’inscrit dans le cadre de l’activisme de marque et qui intègre des perspectives féministes dans les processus marketing. Ces stratégies mettent en avant non seulement des enjeux sociaux tels que l’égalité des sexes et les droits des femmes, mais elles s’articulent également avec les objectifs commerciaux des marques. L’objectif de cette étude est d’examiner la manière dont les stratégies publicitaires féministes, connues sous le nom de « femvertising », sont intégrées dans le film Barbie dans une logique d’activisme de marque, et de les analyser à la lumière de la littérature existante. Le nombre limité de recherches sur la représentation du femvertising dans les récits cinématographiques confère à cette étude une contribution pertinente à la littérature. Les résultats montrent que le femvertising n’est pas seulement un outil marketing, mais aussi une stratégie puissante capable de mettre les questions sociales à l’agenda et de favoriser un potentiel changement, tout en soulignant la nécessité d’évaluations critiques. Pour cette recherche, une analyse descriptive – l’une des méthodes de recherche qualitative – a été mobilisée, et les données recueillies ont été interprétées selon des thèmes prédéfinis.

Bir Marka Aktivizmi Aracı Olarak Femvertising: Barbie Filmi Üzerine Bir Analiz

Öz

Femvertising, marka aktivizmi bağlamında konumlanan ve feminizmi pazarlama süreçlerine entegre eden bir reklamcılık yaklaşımıdır. Bu tür stratejiler, toplumsal cinsiyet eşitliği ve kadın hakları gibi sosyal meseleleri gündeme taşırken, aynı zamanda markaların ticari kaygılarıyla da kesişmektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, femvertising olarak bilinen feminist reklamcılık stratejilerinin marka aktivizmi çerçevesinde uygulamasını Barbie filmi üzerinden inceleyerek literatürdeki bilgiler ışığında analiz etmektir. Femvertising’in sinema anlatılarındaki temsiline dair çalışmaların sınırlılığı, bu araştırmayı özgün kılmakta ve bu bağlamda literatüre katkı sağlamaktadır. Araştırma, femvertisingin yalnızca bir pazarlama aracı olmanın ötesinde, toplumsal meseleleri gündeme getiren ve bu konularda değişim yaratma potansiyeline sahip güçlü bir strateji olduğunu ortaya koymakta ancak eleştirel değerlendirmelere de ihtiyaç duyulduğunun altını çizmektedir. Araştırmada nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden betimsel analiz kullanılmış, elde edilen veriler önceden belirlenen temalara göre yorumlanmıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Femvertising as a Brand Activism Tool: An Analysis of the Film Barbie

Abstract

Femvertising is an advertising approach positioned within the context of brand activism and one that integrates feminism into marketing processes. Such strategies not only bring social issues such as gender equality and women’s rights to the forefront but also intersect with the commercial concerns of brands. The aim of this study is to examine how feminist advertising strategies, known as femvertising, are integrated into the film Barbie within the framework of brand activism and to analyze them considering the existing literature. The limited number of studies on the representation of femvertising in cinematic narratives makes this research significant and contributes to the literature in this context. The study demonstrates that femvertising is not merely a marketing tool but a powerful strategy that brings social issues onto the agenda and has the potential to foster change in these areas, while also underlining the need for critical evaluations. In the research, descriptive analysis, one of the qualitative research methods, was employed, and the data obtained were interpreted according to predetermined themes.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

This study received no financial support from any institution, organization, or funding agency.

Ethical Statement

This research did not require approval from an ethics committee, as it did not involve human participants or sensitive data.

Thanks

There are no individuals or institutions to acknowledge in relation to this research.

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Communication Studies

Journal Section

Research Article

Authors

Nuray Yılmaz Sert ^*
0000-0002-5329-5469
Türkiye

Tuba Çevik Ergin
0000-0002-4632-7987
Türkiye

Ebru Yılmaz
0000-0002-7243-7928
Türkiye

Semih Kopuz
0000-0002-4655-8566
Türkiye

Publication Date

December 25, 2025

Submission Date

April 3, 2025

Acceptance Date

December 12, 2025

Published in Issue

Year 2025 Number: 43

DOI

https://doi.org/10.16878/gsuilet.1669356

IZ

https://izlik.org/JA96AC45GU

Cite

RIS / Bibtex

APA

Yılmaz Sert, N., Çevik Ergin, T., Yılmaz, E., & Kopuz, S. (2025). Femvertising as a Brand Activism Tool: An Analysis of the Film Barbie. Galatasaray Üniversitesi İletişim Dergisi, 43, 191-214. https://doi.org/10.16878/gsuilet.1669356