Date
4-2011
Department
Communication Studies
Degree
Master of Arts (MA)
Chair
Stuart Schwartz
Primary Subject Area
Mass Communications
Keywords
America Runs on Dunkin brand image-shaping, Dunkin' Donuts, humor, television advertisements
Recommended Citation
Fang, Yilin, "Humor and Brand Image-Shaping: A Content Analysis of "America Runs on Dunkin" Campaign Television Advertisements" (2011). Masters Theses. 163.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/masters/163
Abstract
This study examines the role of humor in television advertisements of Dunkin' Donuts "America Runs on Dunkin" campaign to find out how humor is used to shape the brand image. Eight Dunkin' Donuts coffee television advertisements were analyzed to find out the role of humor. The results showed that humor variables, such as ludicrous humor, satire, intent humor, audio and visual humor, are used in this campaign advertisements. The study also found out that the advertisements are intentionally message dominant advertisements; structurally, they have syntactic relatedness; and they are thematically related. With the findings, the study concludes that humor in the Dunkin' Donuts coffee television advertisements does not shape Dunkin' Donuts coffee image directly, but it does indirectly play positive roles in image shaping. Humor is used as a subordinate variable to shape the image of Dunkin' Donuts coffee. Suggestions for future research were also discussed.
