Who Loves Consent?: An Analysis of Responses to the Culture Jamming of Victoria's Secret

• In Event: Activism, Advocacy, and Civil Society

Abstract

The lack of engagement with sexual assault in public relations scholarship, along with the privileging of organizational reputation and brand over individual experience, contributes to the perpetuation of rape culture. One way to begin further introducing these topics into public relations scholarship is to explore how activists work to directly confront organizations believed to be contributing to rape culture. This study explores responses to the culture jamming of Victoria’s Secret’s brand by a feminist activist organization called FORCE. Through the use of creative social media tactics, FORCE spurred an online conversation about creating a consent-based culture that received an overwhelming positive response from social media users, but that Victoria’s Secret tried to shut down. Findings of this study highlight the need of public relations professionals to be continually aware of the interactive nature of social media, brand identity, and activist work.

Authors

• Stephanie Madden, University of Maryland

• Melissa Janoske, U of Memphis

• Rowena Lyn Briones, Virginia Commonwealth U