One strong definition of culture comes from UNESCO, which defines it as “the set of distinctive spiritual, material, intellectual and emotional features of society or a social group,” encompassing not only art and literature but also lifestyles, ways of living together, value systems, traditions and beliefs.
Popular culture, A.K.A. pop culture, is a more specific idea. It refers to the common ideas, entertainment and trends widely liked or accepted by the majority of people in a society. It includes things like popular music, movies, fashion, slang and social media trends.
Understanding these terms makes it easier to discuss how outside forces – such as marketing and advertising – interact with them.
Does marketing influence culture, or does it merely borrow from culture? In truth, marketing and culture influence each other in multiple ways.
Advertising is sometimes described as a “mirror” of society, reflecting our existing values and norms, and other times as a “moulder” or shaper of society, actively influencing how we behave and what we believe.
When marketing shapes culture
Advertising and marketing campaigns have often left a lasting mark on culture by shaping habits, language, or social norms. Here are a few notable examples:
Diamond engagement rings
The now-traditional idea that a marriage proposal must involve a diamond ring was largely manufactured by marketing. In the late 1930s and 1940s, the De Beers company ran its famous “A Diamond Is Forever” campaign, which successfully convinced the public that true love equates to a diamond engagement ring.
This campaign didn’t simply reflect an existing custom, it created a new cultural norm. For example, in Japan, giving diamond rings wasn’t a custom at all until this campaign. In 1967, less than 5% of Japanese brides received a diamond ring; by the early 1980s, about 60% did a huge cultural shift attributed to the advertising campaign.
The image of Santa Claus
Today, everyone pictures Santa as a jolly, grandfatherly man in a red-and-white suit. It was Coca-Cola’s advertising that helped cement the now-universal Santa image. In 1931, Coca-Cola commissioned an illustrator to create ads featuring a warm, friendly, plump Santa dressed in Coca-Cola’s signature red.
As a result, Coca-Cola’s Santa became the standard Santa Claus in the public imagination.
Changing beauty standards
Decades of advertisements for beauty and personal care products have influenced what people consider attractive or normal. For instance, in the early 2000s, Dove’s “Campaign for Real Beauty” attempted to push back against narrow beauty ideals by featuring women of diverse body types and ages in its ads.
This campaign sparked global conversations about body positivity and self-esteem. As a Harvard case study noted, Dove’s effort helped “change the culture of beauty advertising” by widening the definition of beauty in pop culture.
These cases demonstrate marketing’s moulding power. A clever and persistent campaign can introduce new rituals, shape how we celebrate or communicate, and even alter perceptions of value and identity in society.
When marketing borrows from culture
At the same time, marketers know that the best way to connect with an audience is to tap into existing cultural currents.
Some examples of this dynamic:
Aligning with social movements: Companies often incorporate social and cultural movements into their branding. A fairly recent example is Nike’s 2018 campaign featuring NFL player Colin Kaepernick, who had become an icon of the racial justice and police reform movement in the United States.
Nike’s ad showed Kaepernick’s face with the text, “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything. Just Do It.” In essence, Nike borrowed the symbolism of protest and courage from the culture and attached it to its slogan.
Empowering messages and trends: As mentioned above, Dove’s Real Beauty campaign rode the wave of a broader cultural shift toward female empowerment and body positivity. Dove’s ads featured real women (not retouched supermodels) and talked honestly about self-image.
In doing so, the brand was clearly drawing from society’s growing demand for more inclusive and realistic portrayals of women. Dove essentially co-opted a positive cultural trend, the push for self-acceptance as a marketing strategy, which in turn made that trend even more visible.
Inspiration from cultural changes
Many other brands have done similarly. For example, toy companies have introduced dolls with different skin tones and body shapes following cultural calls for diversity, and fashion brands have marketed modest clothing lines in response to discussions about cultural and religious inclusivity.
Each of these marketing moves takes inspiration from cultural changes or conversations already happening at the grassroots level.
Pop Culture References: Another way marketing borrows from culture is by using references from pop culture; popular movies, celebrities, songs, or memes to grab attention. A tech commercial might include a quick reference to a hit Marvel superhero film, or a cereal brand might partner with a famous athlete or music star.
These tactics work because they latch onto already existing excitement in the culture. Essentially, brands ride the coattails of pop culture moments
In all these examples, the flow is from culture to marketing: the culture produces a value, trend, or icon, and then marketers incorporate it into their strategies.
A two-way street
This interplay can reinforce positive aspects of culture or spark useful conversations (for example, ads promoting environmental responsibility or public health can strengthen those cultural values).
In other cases, critics point out that marketing’s influence can be negative for instance, perpetuating consumerism or harmful stereotypes. The truth likely lies in the middle: marketing both mirrors and molds, and its impact can vary by context.
In conclusion, marketing does not operate in a vacuum. It is deeply intertwined with culture both drawing inspiration from it and contributing to it.
Niko Kougioumtzis is a strategist at RAPT Creative.
Sources:
- UNESCO (2001) – Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity: Definition of culture myusf.usfca.edu
- St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture (2000) – Michael Bell’s definition of popular culture elearning.shisu.edu.cn
- Pareek, A. (2015) – “‘Advertising’ a Mirror of the Society: A Review”: On advertising reflecting and influencing culture sxcjpr.edu.insxcjpr.edu.in
- White, L.T. (2015) – Psychology Today: “Does Advertising Content Reflect or Shape Societal Values?” (discussion of “mirror” vs “mold” debate) psychologytoday.com
- The Atlantic (2015) – “How an Ad Campaign Invented the Diamond Engagement Ring”: How De Beers’ marketing shaped culture in the US and Japan theatlantic.com
- Teichert, F. (2024) – Ditsong Cultural History Museum: “The Influence of Coca-Cola on Christmas Traditions”: On Coca-Cola’s Santa ads shaping the modern Santa image ditsong.org.zaditsong.org.za
- Banet-Weiser, S. (2018) – Vox: “Nike, Colin Kaepernick, and the history of ‘commodity activism’”: Example of a brand leveraging a cultural movement vox.comvox.com
- Dove Real Beauty Case – Unilever (2024) press release on 20th anniversary of Real Beauty campaign: notes on changing beauty culture
