Supporting Robust and Original Research

In 2011 Credos launched our Master’s Thesis Award to encourage and reward students undertaking original and robust research relating to our research programme.

Credos Master's Thesis Award Winner 2011  

The Master's Thesis Award winner for 2011 is Jacqueline Waugh from Edinburgh Napier University. The purpose of her thesis, entitled Does Advertising Shape or Reflect Popular Culture?, was to understand the influence advertising can have over popular culture, in order to produce a unique understanding of the link between the industries.

Jacqueline's analysis of her results show that popular culture can be shaped by advertising, but only when consumers choose to retain elements of advertising for themselves. She argues that the advertising industry is unable to manipulate popular culture, or force consumers into purchasing goods they do not want. Jacqueline concludes that advertising is a communiation tool that delivers messages to consumers through channels that they will find familiar, predominantly reflecting popular cultural references.