The Development of Modern Advertising

Advertising in one form or another has been around for millennia, and examples of advertising images and slogans can be found even in the classical world. From the 18th century onwards, advances in printing technology made mass advertising a reality. The late 19th and early 20th centuries brought a reappraisal; with increasingly large sums of money being spent on advertising to larger and larger markets, thoughtful minds began considering issues such as advertising effectiveness and cost. Both the nascent discipline of marketing and advocates of scientific management began to consider advertising, its value and its meaning. In doing so, they pioneered many of the techniques of advertising that are still used today. This eight-volume set focuses on the developments during the period 1870-1920. It includes works on the theory and practice of advertising by pioneers in the field such as Paul Cherington, Herbert Casson, Arch W. Shaw and Walter Dill Scott, as well as lesser-known but important figures including Harry Tipper, Thomas Russell and Frank Parsons.
Volumes 7 and 8 contain a collection of essays and journal articles on the question whether advertising was a corrupting force, both economically and morally, with contributions by Samuel Courtauld, Lewis Haney, Richardson Evans and G.D.H. Cole. Sampson's classic "History of Advertising" is included as a measure of where and how the field had developed prior to the modern period. As with earlier sets in this series, the works reproduced here show how an increasing understanding of consumer needs and responses informed advertising practices and led to the adoption of new methods and new media.