2023 MPCA Call For Papers

2023 Midwest Popular Culture Association/American Culture Association
Annual Conference
Call for Advertising & Public Relations Papers, Abstracts, and Panel Proposals

Friday-Sunday, 6-8 October 2023
DePaul University, Chicago, IL
Address: DePaul Center, 1 E. Jackson Blvd. Chicago, IL 60604 Phone: (312) 362-8000

Presenters may be Communication faculty, graduate students, AD/PR professionals, or independent scholars who are engaged in AD/PR research at universities, agencies, non-profit organizations, government research centers or NGOs virtually anywhere in the world. Topics can include, but are certainly not limited to, the following:

  • Analyses of advertising and public relations in popular culture through portrayals in television, films or literature.
  • Analyses of historical advertising and public relations campaigns as connected to popular culture.
  • Analyses of current (or historic) advertising or public relations campaign taglines that have become pop culture phenomena through language usage or memes.
  • Analyses of how advertising or public relations campaigns influences public opinion in popular culture.
  • Reports on student summer internships in advertising or public relations with advertising or public relations firms or communication departments of major corporations, government offices or non-profits.
  • Creative use of new media in public relations or advertising campaigns, including how new app ChatGPT by Open AI might influence public relations in popular culture positively or negatively.
  • Analyses of how public relations and advertising campaigns influence popular culture in, for example, sports, fashion, or politics.
  • Analyses that show how advertising and public relations are preserving or resurrecting historical icons, for example, US/Confederate flags at sporting events.
  • Discussion or analyses of Ethical issues in Public Relations and Advertising, including various Truth in Advertising laws or the areas of Advertising reputation management and corporate social responsibility (CSR).
  • Special events are major events that rely on advertising and public relations to tie into pop culture, for example, Kentucky Derby, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
  • Presentations on teaching or learning public relations or advertising in American or international college and university programs.
  • Presentations that analyze how healthcare public relations or advertising has contributed to greater understanding or misunderstanding in public health issues in popular culture.
  • Presentations on topics of international advertising or public relations or topics that compare international advertising or public relations with American-style advertising/public relations in International or US popular culture.
  • Just about any topic/that researches AD&PR.

Please note: Graduate students currently enrolled in, or recently graduated from, your MA/PhD programs are strongly encouraged to submit their papers or presentations.

Submit 250-word abstracts or panel proposals (including the title of the presentation) to the Advertising and Public Relations (AD&PR) area on the Submissions website at https://www.mpcaaca.org/submit-panels. Please note: Do not submit an AD&PR paper, abstract, or panel to and area except AD&PR or it won’t be considered for an AD&PR panel.

Deadline for receipt of abstracts and panel proposals is April 30, 2023.

Please include your name, affiliation, and e-mail address of each author/participant. A preliminary version of the schedule will be posted on our website around August 2023. The final version will be distributed in hard copy at the conference.
Individuals may only submit one paper. Do not submit the same paper to more than one Subject Area.
If you have questions, please email Patrick Karle at PNKarle@outlook.com.