Luxury and Lyrics

This thesis investigates the influence of rap music referencing luxury brands on young adults in the Netherlands. It specifically measures the desire for luxury products when exposed to rap lyrics referencing luxury brands, while the aspiration for wealth mediates this relationship. In addition, the societal, managerial, and academic implications of this topic were examined, drawing on empirical research. Subsequently, the research question "How are young adults aged 18 - 30 years in the Netherlands influenced by rap lyrics referencing luxury brands to desire luxury brands, and to what extent do aspirations for wealth mediate this relationship?" was introduced to bridge the existing academic gap through the proposed three hypotheses guided by two empirical theories. Answering the research question would contribute to previous academic findings as an implication. The theories used to develop the three hypotheses are the conspicuous consumption theory and the social comparison theory. Throughout this thesis, a clear discussion was conducted, labeling the desire for luxury as the dependent variable, lyrics referencing luxury brands serving as the independent variable, and the aspiration for wealth as the mediating variable. A clear illustration of the variables is provided, followed by the formulated hypotheses in the theoretical framework of this thesis. To test the proposed hypotheses, a between-subjects experiment was conducted with three different conditions. Each condition featured an identical rap verse in which the brand mentioned was manipulated. The conditions were labeled as (luxury, midrange, and affordable). The selected product to serve as a manipulation within the three conditions is a wristwatch, as a wristwatch was deemed appropriate due to its varying prices in the market and multiple price tiers. All participants were recruited through Prolific. The Hayes PROCESS Model 4 was used to conduct the main tests of the experiment. The first and third hypotheses were not shown to be significant. However, the second hypothesis yielded substantial results supporting the claim that a strong desire for wealth leads to a higher desire for luxury brands.