Selling Empowerment: A Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis Of Feminist Discourse and Brand Legitimacy in Sports Femvertising
(2026) SKDK11 20261Department of Strategic Communication
- Abstract
- This study examines how feminist discourse is constructed and adapted within sports femvertising in order to legitimise brand identity and positioning in a commercial context. The study analyses four campaigns by Nike (2020, 2025), Adidas (2025) and Puma (2022) through a qualitative multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis, based on Fairclough’s Three-Dimensional Model. The analysis analyses feminist discourses and multimodal elements through a textual level, discursive practice and in relation to broader social practices. The analysis show that the campaigns construct feminist discourse mainly through individualised empowerment, rather than collective struggle or structural change. The analysis also identifies linguistic mechanisms which... (More)
- This study examines how feminist discourse is constructed and adapted within sports femvertising in order to legitimise brand identity and positioning in a commercial context. The study analyses four campaigns by Nike (2020, 2025), Adidas (2025) and Puma (2022) through a qualitative multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis, based on Fairclough’s Three-Dimensional Model. The analysis analyses feminist discourses and multimodal elements through a textual level, discursive practice and in relation to broader social practices. The analysis show that the campaigns construct feminist discourse mainly through individualised empowerment, rather than collective struggle or structural change. The analysis also identifies linguistic mechanisms which allow structural barriers to be excluded, such as unnamed antagonists, empty imperatives and future-oriented language. As a result, feminist discourse is depoliticised and made compatible with commercial sports culture. The study further shows that this depoliticised feminism becomes useful for brand legitimacy. By incorporating feminist values, the brands can position themselves as progressive and socially responsible, while avoiding deeper political issues. The study concludes that the campaigns reshape feminism into a brand-friendly form that supports brand legitimacy more than actual feminist change. (Less)
- Abstract (Swedish)
- Denna studie undersöker hur feministiska diskurser konstrueras och omformuleras inom sportfemvertising för att legitimera varumärkesidentitet och positionering i ett kommersiellt sammanhang. Studien analyserar fyra kampanjer av Nike (2020, 2025), Adidas (2025) och Puma (2022) genom en kvalitativ multimodal kritisk diskurs analys, baserad på Fairclough’three-Dimensional Model. Analysen undersöker feministiska diskurser och multimodala element genom en textnivå, diskursiv praktik och i relation till bredare sociala praktiker. Analysen visar att kampanjerna konstruerar feministisk diskurs främst genom individualisering av empowerment snarare än kollektiv kamp eller strukturell förändring. Analysen identifierar språkliga mekanismer som gör att... (More)
- Denna studie undersöker hur feministiska diskurser konstrueras och omformuleras inom sportfemvertising för att legitimera varumärkesidentitet och positionering i ett kommersiellt sammanhang. Studien analyserar fyra kampanjer av Nike (2020, 2025), Adidas (2025) och Puma (2022) genom en kvalitativ multimodal kritisk diskurs analys, baserad på Fairclough’three-Dimensional Model. Analysen undersöker feministiska diskurser och multimodala element genom en textnivå, diskursiv praktik och i relation till bredare sociala praktiker. Analysen visar att kampanjerna konstruerar feministisk diskurs främst genom individualisering av empowerment snarare än kollektiv kamp eller strukturell förändring. Analysen identifierar språkliga mekanismer som gör att strukturella barriärer kan exkluderas, såsom icke namngivna antagonister, tomma påståenden och framåtblickande språk. Som ett resultat av detta avpolitiseras den feministiska diskursen och förs förenlig med kommersiell sportkontext. Studien visar ytterligare att en avpolitiserad feminism är användbar för varumärkeslegitimitet. Genom att inkludera feministiska värderingar kan varumärken positionera sig som progressiva och socialt ansvariga, samtidigt som de undviker strukturella politiska problem. Studien drar slutsatsen att kampanjerna omformar feminismen till en varumärkesvänlig variant av feministisk diskurs som stödjer varumärkeslegitimitet snarare än feministiska mål. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9230339
- author
- Rune, Alma Lily LU and Schollin, Niki LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- SKDK11 20261
- year
- 2026
- type
- M2 - Bachelor Degree
- subject
- keywords
- femvertising, feminist discourse, sports advertising, brand legitimacy, commodity feminism, postfeminism, multimodal critical discourse analysis
- language
- English
- id
- 9230339
- date added to LUP
- 2026-06-25 11:04:58
- date last changed
- 2026-06-25 11:04:58
@misc{9230339,
abstract = {{This study examines how feminist discourse is constructed and adapted within sports femvertising in order to legitimise brand identity and positioning in a commercial context. The study analyses four campaigns by Nike (2020, 2025), Adidas (2025) and Puma (2022) through a qualitative multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis, based on Fairclough’s Three-Dimensional Model. The analysis analyses feminist discourses and multimodal elements through a textual level, discursive practice and in relation to broader social practices. The analysis show that the campaigns construct feminist discourse mainly through individualised empowerment, rather than collective struggle or structural change. The analysis also identifies linguistic mechanisms which allow structural barriers to be excluded, such as unnamed antagonists, empty imperatives and future-oriented language. As a result, feminist discourse is depoliticised and made compatible with commercial sports culture. The study further shows that this depoliticised feminism becomes useful for brand legitimacy. By incorporating feminist values, the brands can position themselves as progressive and socially responsible, while avoiding deeper political issues. The study concludes that the campaigns reshape feminism into a brand-friendly form that supports brand legitimacy more than actual feminist change.}},
author = {{Rune, Alma Lily and Schollin, Niki}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Selling Empowerment: A Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis Of Feminist Discourse and Brand Legitimacy in Sports Femvertising}},
year = {{2026}},
}