Join two boys, Wes and Vance, as they grow up in West Tennessee in the 1940's. Enjoy a colorful cast of characters and historical tidbits. Culminating in an edge-of-your-seat murder trial replete with twists and unexpected revelations. This is a powerful story that reveals the complexity of a so-called simple era.

How advertising works is not a question that has a simple answer. Advertising is a diverse entity and different campaigns work (or fail to work) in a plethora of different ways. Most advertising persuades people to buy things, but how? And who does it aim to persuade? And how are these decisions made? In this Very Short Introduction Winston Fletcher, an expert with extensive knowledge of advertising from the inside, aims to answer these questions, and in doing so, dispels some of the myths and misunderstandings surrounding the industry. The book contains a short history of advertising and an explanation of how the industry works, and how each of the parties (the advertisers , the media and the agencies) are involved. It considers the extensive spectrum of advertisers and their individual needs. It also looks at the financial side of advertising and asks how advertisers know if they have been successful, or whether the money they have spent has in fact been wasted. Fletcher concludes with a discussion about the controversial and unacceptable areas of advertising such as advertising products to children and advertising products such as cigarettes and alcohol. He also discusses the benefits of advertising and what the future may hold for the industry. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

During much of the second half of the 20th century advertising in Britain led the world. Yet no history of British advertising covering this heady period has previously been published. During those years advertising increasingly came to touch upon almost every aspect of every individual's life, and reached its peak as a proportion of the Gross National Product. It boosted economic growth and peoples' affluence. But at the same time the advertising industry was frequently under siege, as politicians, pressure groups, and others constantly sought to restrain its influence - and often succeeded. For several decades the creativity of British campaigns was preeminent around the globe. But Powers of Persuasion is not just about advertisements - it is about advertising. During those years Britain was also a world leader in setting industry benchmarks - innovating the account planning discipline, setting the standard for public service advertising, launching global advertising awards festivals, introducing the best system of advertising regulation, setting up both the world's largest advertising archive and the world's most comprehensive on-line advertising research databank. These were the keystones on which British creativity was built. Simultaneously, major British advertising companies - particularly Saatchi & Saatchi and WPP - raced to the top of the global league. Powers of Persuasion tells the authoritative story of this dynamic, exhilarating era, with pen portraits of the personalities involved, anecdotes, case histories, and essential data. Written (from the inside) by one of the industry's leaders, this is a book for all interested in advertising and its role in society, business, and the media.