PurposeTo describe contemporary US society based on the dominant themes featured in magazine advertisements.Design/methodology/approachFrom eight general circulation magazines, 2,158 full‐page advertisements are examined using content analysis. The analysis includes the examination of ad characteristics, creative strategies and a critical literary analysis.FindingsThe results show evidence that US cultural values are embedded in popular magazine advertisements. In particular, individualism, low context communication patterns and action/achievement values are most common.Research limitations/implicationsThis study represents a snapshot in time. Neither culture nor media options are static. As a result, future work in this area should examine these changes.Practical implicationsSince only a few cultural dimensions are dominant in the sample, the results suggest that advertisers need not embed all social values in ads.Originality/valueThis paper provides evidence that an adaptive advertising strategy may be more effective than a global approach.

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The demographic changes in contemporary American society portend serious consequences with far-reaching implications for the future development of the country. One of the more serious challenges is in the influx of refugees and new immigrants many of whom are not acculturating as easily as in the past. Unfortunately, the use of conventional research methods in studying acculturation has not yielded many actionable solutions to the adaptation problems, nor have newcomers been engaged as co-researchers. In this longitudinal study, action research approaches of participatory and community action research as well as action inquiry were used to identify the most pressing acculturation problems and also to engage the subjects (co-researchers) in proffering practical solutions to these problems. The results provide lessons for newcomers and resettlement agencies that are interested in promoting successful integration. The use of a variety of action research approaches for each of the three phases of this project illustrates the versatility of action research in different social contexts, especially in evolving situations with different social groups.