Literary Criticism in Advertising and Consumer Research: Revisiting Barbara Stern

Abstract

This study provides a broad overview of literary criticism in advertising and discusses its relevance in understanding advertisements as textual narratives while also suggesting some avenues for future research. We do so by framing it through the work of Barbara Stern, who helped introduce literary criticism into the marketing discipline. We then explain our thoughts concerning why renewed interest in a literary approach to advertising is essential. Our approach integrates Stern’s work with other emerging theories in English and consumer literature, synthesizing a variety of insights into an overview of what has been done within the discipline, offering a brief glimpse into the dynamic theoretical approaches wielded by others.