Cultural-sensory synesthesia:

creating a mythical space-time as a tool for brand expression

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18568/cmc.v22i64.2975

Keywords:

cultural branding, heterotopy, advertising, semiotics, five senses

Abstract

This article aims to analyze how the enacting of heterotopias and heterochrony by Magnum’s ice cream brand campaign “Find your Summer” helps to implement its cultural strategy. Through a semiotic analysis and an approach focused on Michel Serres’s random stroll (randonnée) and the exploration of five senses, the campaign’s aesthetic and metaphorical languages ​​are discussed: their contrapositions, sensations, parallels, inflections, and displacements. The conclusions indicate the creation of a mythical time-space that is experienced synesthetically by consumers, strengthening the brand’s cultural identity.

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Author Biography

Antonio Pedro Cruz Costa Alves, ESPM

PhD candidate in the Graduate Program in Administration at the ESPM. Holds a Master’s degree in Administration from ESPM, an MBA in Marketing from the Fundação Instituto de Administração, and a Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from the FGV EAESP. Has completed several extension courses at FGV EAESP and at the HEC Paris. Currently works as a marketing, branding, and strategy consultant. E-mail: apedroa@yahoo.com.

References

Conflito de interesses: nada a declarar.

Fonte de financiamento: O presente trabalho foi realizado com apoio da Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES) – Código de Financiamento 001.

Disponibilidade dos dados da pesquisa: O compartilhamento de dados não é aplicável.

Recebido: 21/06/2024

Aceito: 16/06/2025

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Published

2025-08-30

How to Cite

Cruz Costa Alves, A. P. (2025). Cultural-sensory synesthesia: : creating a mythical space-time as a tool for brand expression. Comunicação Mídia E Consumo, 22(64), 349–367. https://doi.org/10.18568/cmc.v22i64.2975

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