Like it or not, commercial speech -- advertising -- makes up most of what we share as a culture. We live in a time when the vast majority of Americans can recite, almost without thinking about it, the ingredients of a McDonald's Big Mac but would be hard-pressed to do the same with, say, a line or two of Wordsworth's poetry. It's with this in mind that James B. Twitchell, one of the most respected advertising scholars and pundits, and the author of the classic advertising text Adcult USA, has chosen the twenty ads (complete with their artwork) of the twentieth century that have most influenced our culture and marketplace. P. T. Barnum's creation of buzz, Pepsodent and the magic of the preemptive claim, Listerine introducing America to the scourge of halitosis, Nike's "Just Do It," Clairol's "Does She or Doesn't She?," Leo Burnett's invention of the Marlboro Man, Revlon's Charlie Girl, Coke's re-creation of Santa Claus, Absolut and the art world -- these ads are the signposts of a century of consumerism, our modern canon that is understood, accepted, beloved, and hated the world over.
Source: Amazon - October 5, 2021

Mr. Twtichell takes the reader through 20 iconic ads that changed not only advertising, but he argues, popular culture as well. The book is short enough (215 pages) to be entertaining and has just enough depth to make his point that advertising is an art and part of our collective culture.

For those of us over 50, the book also provides a trip down memory lane as we can recall seeing many of the ads discussed in the book.

Clearly written, with a touch of humour, this is an interesting take on popular culture. ( )