Example - Sabrina Carpenter
How does Carpenter's brand identity become established over a series of promotional material? What elements remain consistent, and what elements change to ensure variety?
Music video - Espresso (2024)
- Espresso - brand identity - girly, and overtly, even stereotypically girly. The MES of getting nails painted, and the colour of her various costumes are typically, stereotypically and hegemonically feminine…
- However, there is a slight hint of edginess to her brand identity. Carpenter pushes a muscular man off of a boat and steals his credit card. Additionally she gets a massage in such a way that connotes sexual openness, and the use of strong language
- Richa and luxurious lifestyle - MES of credit card being thrown
- Mild edginess - strong language is used in a non-threatening way
- Elements of sexualisation - MES and close ups of body parts, reaction shot emphasises the male gaze
- Espresso - small, strong coffee, adult connotations
- Independent, headstrong, steers a boat
- Girly, clean, conventional aesthetic. This USP helps differentiate Carpenter from competitors such as Billie Eilish, who adopt a more trashy, edgy persona
Tour poster - The Short n' Sweet Tour
- Colour palette - pink, orange, gold - a sunrise! Positivity! Girly!
- Colour scheme, hair, makeup and font choice all suggest the 70s
- A significant emphasis is made on Carpenter's hair. Much of her brand identity is based on the iconography of this, and the poster makes explicit reference to this. It even perhaps intertextually references a shampoo advert!
Magazine cover - Cosmopolitan June/July 2024
- Hair! Carpenter’s golden, 70’s inspired hair-do is iconic, and constructs her brand identity across all three products, even through her fashion choice here is markedly different
- Her stance and body language connotes confidence and freedom of expression
- Interestingly, the costume here is diametrically opposed to her revealing costume in Espresso, as it covers almost her entire body! However, this reinforces the ideological perspective that Carpenter is fashion forward, and has a diversity of potential fashions and designs to chose from
