Corporate Affirmations of Self-Identity and Mutual Self-Help: Transmedia Rhetorics of Marvel Rising

In 2018, Disney launched a Marvel Rising transmedia campaign introducing a line of female superhero dolls and supporting media narratives across Disney XD, Marvel Comics, and Hasbro toys. Utilizing textual and industry analysis, we find that the concentration of ownership and the need to attract a n...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of communication inquiry 2020-10, Vol.44 (4), p.376-395
Main Authors: Stevens, J. Richard, St. John, Burton
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Children
Comics
Commercialization
Toys
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Summary:In 2018, Disney launched a Marvel Rising transmedia campaign introducing a line of female superhero dolls and supporting media narratives across Disney XD, Marvel Comics, and Hasbro toys. Utilizing textual and industry analysis, we find that the concentration of ownership and the need to attract a new clientele resulted in a “commercialized feminism” text, one that thematically supports Disney’s prosocial messaging agenda, linking its products to what it perceives as the preferred social identity for its audience. As such, this work has implications for deeper understandings of how corporations can use transmedia rhetoric to mentor children, especially young women, toward confidence and self-empowerment while also allowing the corporation to maximize marketplace revenues.
ISSN:0196-8599
1552-4612
DOI:10.1177/0196859920924383