This story appears in the
December 2000 issue of
Entrepreneur.
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In Twenty Ads That Shook the World: The
Century's Most Groundbreaking Advertising and How It Changed Us
All (Crown, $25), James B. Twitchell uses an art
historian's approach to showcase his collection of the most
memorable and persuasive pitches of all time. "[These ads] may
not make you gulp, but they did change the way we swallowed
information about the world around us," writes Twitchell.
From the legendary huckster P.T. Barnum to such campaigns as
Revlon's revolutionary Charlie woman, The Marlboro Man,
Absolut's plays on packaging and Michael Jordan's nearly
synonymous relationship with Nike, Twitchell depicts advertising
throughout the 20th century. He deftly leads the way behind the
seeming simplicity of the ad toward understanding the more complex
social and economic issues surrounding the product and its message
within the context of its day.
Throughout the text, which is peppered with sociological
factoids, Twitchell explains how each effort moved us closer to
present-day advertising, for better or worse. His role varies from
being an admiring chronicler of the craft to one of its more ardent
critics. The result is a thoroughly enjoyable read that will have
you humming more than a few jingles you thought you'd
forgotten. You might even buy into the author's assertion,
borrowed from and credited to adman Earnest Elmo Calkins, that
advertising may have more value to historians than editorial
content.
Gwen Moran is president of Moran Marketing Associates and
founder of BoostYourBiz.com, a marketing information resource for
small businesses. E-mail her at gwen@boostyourbiz.com.