And Now a Few Words From Me: Advertising's Leading Critic Lays Down the Law, Once and For All Advertising's Leading Critic Lays Down the Law, Once and For All

by Garfield, Bob

• ISBN13: 9780071441223
• ISBN10: 0071441220
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-08-17
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Education

Summary

"A brazenly funny . . . and hard-hitting book." --Publishers Weekly"He [Bob Garfield] is irreverent, funny and tough." --USA Today"If you crave insight into the wacky, zany, madcap--albeit very serious--business of advertising, this is a great place to begin." --Miami HeraldAnd Now a Few Words from Meis Bob Garfield's call to arms. Sparing no sacred cows, the respectedAdvertising Agecolumnist rails against the mind-set that has reduced much of today's advertising to sophomoric silliness that doesn't bother to sell the product or even further the client's strategy. Wielding his pen like a flaming broadsword, Garfield writes: "Consistency of ethical principles has never been the advertising industry's strongest suit." "Agencies themselves struggle with an inherent conflict of interest, because the kind of advertising that best serves the client doesn't necessarily win awards." "My goal here isn't to leave you a bit infuriated. My goal is to enumerate transgressions so extravagant and insane that you actually bleed through the ears."And Now a Few Words from Meshines a blinding searchlight on what is wrong with today's advertising. Fast, funny, and vintage Garfield, it names names, deflates balloons, and provides a few simple-to-follow rules to get advertising back on track.

Author Biography

Bob Garfield's high-profile weekly "Ad Review" column in Advertising Age singles out individual ads for praise or scorn, making him perhaps the most feared figure in the world of advertising. Garfield is also an advertising analyst for ABC News and cohost of NPR's "On the Media."

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION The Ten Commandments of Advertising, Brought to You by God	vii
CHAPTER 1 Rules Are Made to Be Observed	1	(18)
CHAPTER 2 Original Sin	19	(16)
CHAPTER 3 Apropos of Something	35	(26)
CHAPTER 4 Exercise Regularly and Try Cutting Back on the Sex	61	(26)
CHAPTER 5 Ogilvy Was Wrong	87	(16)
CHAPTER 6 Be My Guest	103	(22)
CHAPTER 7 Are You Doomed? Take This Simple Quiz!	125	(18)
CHAPTER 8 Hold the Sleaze, Please	143	(22)
CHAPTER 9 Bless Me, Garfield, For I Have Screwed Up Big Time	165	(20)
CHAPTER 10 Go Forth and Advertise	185	(12)
Afterword	197	(4)
Index	201