Claude Hopkins’ “Scientific Advertising”

According to many students of Direct Marketing, Claude Hopkins was ahead of his time. Jumpstart your DM learning curve by reading “Scientific Advertising,” the classic tome penned by legendary ad man Claude Hopkins, who was born in 1866 and who worked for Lord & Thomas advertising agency, forerunner to today’s Foote, Cone & Belding. The book has been reproduced in its entirety at this site … [ Read more ]

Shelly Lazarus

chairman and CEO of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide

The Darwinian World Of The Infomercial

In this interactive feature, Forbes.com looks at the world of direct-response TV ads. The question: Are they a good deal for advertisers? Ask Johnny Carson. His Carson Productions has sold some 2.5 million copies of its best of The Tonight Show videos, a number the author notes, “is comparable to the DVD/video sales for a hit Hollywood movie.” Nearly two-thirds of all Americans report seeing … [ Read more ]

Ad*Access and The Emergence of Advertising in America

Ad*Access takes an historic look back at advertising that was shaped by-and helped shape-the first half of the 20th century in the United States. The sophisticated searchable database tracks down images and information on some 7,000 advertisements printed in U.S. and Canadian newspapers between 1911 and 1955. The ads come from five subject areas: Radio, Television, Transportation, Beauty and Hygiene, and World War II. A … [ Read more ]