Powers of Persuasion

The Inside Story of British Advertising 1951-2000

Winston Fletcher

The authoritative inside story on UK advertising, from a leading industry figure
Tells the story of the most memorable campaigns such as Heineken, Silk Cut, Tango, Levis, and the Conservative Party election campaigns, set in their social and cultural context, and with illustrations
Insight into the industry personalities, rivalries, business models and the growth of the major firms such as Saatchi & Saatchi and WPP
Shows the influential role of advertising in society and the economy
Describes the tools and techniques of the advertising agencies

Powers of Persuasion

The Inside Story of British Advertising 1951-2000

Winston Fletcher

Description

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.

Powers of Persuasion

The Inside Story of British Advertising 1951-2000

Winston Fletcher

The Halcyon Years: Terms Of Reference
1951: Watershed Year
Antecedents: Look Back In Wonder
1950s: The Television Upheaval
1960s: 'You've Never Had It So Good'
1970s: Britain Takes The Lead
1980s: 'Brits Buy Up The Business'
1990s: Recession and Globalization
Crystal Balls: Peering Into A Cloudy Future

Powers of Persuasion

The Inside Story of British Advertising 1951-2000

Winston Fletcher

Author Information

Winston Fletcher, Vice President of the History of Advertising Trust and Visiting Professor of Marketing, Westminster University

Powers of Persuasion

The Inside Story of British Advertising 1951-2000

Winston Fletcher

Reviews and Awards

"A comprehensive, highly readable and well-researched history... it is fascinating and thought-provoking, and I wish everyone in the ad business would read it." - Paul Feldwick, Market Leader

"This book is important, vauable, and a great read... Insights abound... the mini case-studies are excellent." - Tim Ambler, International Journal of Advertising

"Do go and buy this book. You'll enjoy it, and it's important to read it." - brand-republic.com

"The author shows a seductive flair for combining piquant anecdotes about individual agencies and campaigns with revealing and reliable data, which makes the book both enjoyable for the general reader and solidly based." - Financial Times

"A readable and racy inside story of the British advertising industry." - Isabelle Szmigin. Times Higher Education.

"Fletcher plainly knows his stuff and writes in a crisp, lively way. He's also taken great pains to animate his characters, thus ensuring that his narrative has a properly flesh-and-blood feel to it." - Telegraph