DOI: 10.5176/2301-3710_JMComm13.08b
Authors: Jan Olsson
Abstract:
This paper discusses filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock's interaction with the press as a marketing strategy to set gossipy talk in motion and thereby positioning himself as a brand independent of his Hollywood studio and the traditional role awarded a "mere" film director. In order to create buzz, Hitchcock played up a grotesque version of himself, nursed by phenomenal food indulgences in company with journalists and in the process inviting a writing style that chronicled his gluttony and "portrayed" his fat body, which he turned into a logotype for his franchise. In this manner and due to his interaction with the leading generation of gossip columnist, Hitchcock became a household name and Hitchcockian an adjective that incorporated his body, logo and spine-chilling narratives.
Keywords: gossip, media, mediatization, marketing, Hitchcock
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