The Anatomy of Humbug: How to Think Differently about Advertising Hardcover – January 7, 2015 by Paul Feldwick (Author)
How does advertising work? Does it have to attract conscious attention in order to transmit a ‘Unique Selling Proposition’? Or does it insinuate emotional associations into the subconscious mind? Or is it just about being famous… or maybe something else? In Paul Feldwick’s radical new view, all theories of how advertising works have their uses – and all are dangerous if they are taken too literally as the truth. The Anatomy of Humbug deftly and entertainingly picks apart the historical roots of our common – and often contradictory – beliefs about advertising, in order to create space for a more flexible, creative and effective approach to this fascinating and complex field of human communication.
Drawing on insights ranging from the nineteenth-century showman P.T. Barnum to the twentieth-century communications theorist Paul Watzlawick, as well as influential admen such as Bernbach, Reeves and Ogilvy, Feldwick argues that the advertising industry will only be able to deal with increasingly rapid change in the media landscape if it both understands its past and is able to criticise its most entrenched habits of thought. The Anatomy of Humbug is an accessible business book that will help advertising and marketing professionals create better campaigns.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“A unique and extraordinary book” — Rory Sutherland Ogilvy London ‘Buy this book. Reserve an evening or two to settle down with it and prepare for a sensory overload. It really is that good’ — Darren Ingram Media
About the Author
Paul Feldwick worked in an advertising agency for over thirty years. Since leaving he has worked as a consultant in the fields of strategy, brands, and organisational change, but retains a strong fascination for advertising itself. He has Master’s degrees from the University of Bath School of Management and Ashridge Business School.
Product Details
Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Troubador Publishing Ltd (January 7, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1784621927
ISBN-13: 978-1784621926
Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.5 x 8.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 13.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
A must, must, must read for anyone in the advertising profession.
By EJP on March 23, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition Verified Purchase
Absolutely the best depiction of the state of affairs in the advertising profession. Paul Feldwick provides a wonderful journey into the past and shines a much needed light upon the true origins of what so many believe to be the laws or rules of advertising that turn out to be nothing more than the polished “humbug” of some past character who happened to write a book. Mr. Feldwick provides examples and detailed reference points as he takes us on a time machine ride to glimpse the evolution as it took place. His “3 narratives” of the state of advertising are alone worth the price of admission. You will understand more and believe less of the jargonized rhetoric that pervades today’s discussion of advertising. A must, must, must read for everyone in or anywhere near advertising or marketing.