Richards creates a portable museum of advertising, arranged chronologically and designed to encourage browsing. Readers can dip in and out, encouraged by hundreds of illustrations, primarily of advertisements past and present. Chapters 8 and 16 on social implications, ads, and culture relate interesting facts on how advertising both influences and reflects its time. Delivers a broad look from ancient times (there is evidence of Roman shops signs in BCE 776) to modern promotional products (Livestrong bracelets; MAGA caps). Well-documented and scholarly with crossover appeal for general audiences.
* Library Journal *
Marketers describe advertising as a paid form of nonpersonal communication meant to persuade. Researchers have found examples of advertising dating back to ancient times, including a hanging tag used to identify a bottle of oil in 3000 BCE. Richards puts together the whole story of this fascinating, critical component of marketing. Students and practitioners of advertising and history will find the evolution of advertising from basic names, signs, and labels to the sophisticated electronic media of today a remarkable journey. Richards' book is packed with examples and a timeline that threads together each advertising development, resulting in a surprising, fascinating historical narrative. Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty and professionals.
* Choice Reviews *
Most people practicing advertising today care little about what came before. They only care about today. Yet, to quote Soren Kierkegaard Life can only be understood looking backwards: but it must be lived forward. So do yourself a favor, take a long backward look with Jef and become better prepared for today, and tomorrow.
-- Rick Boyko, retired, Co-President, CCO, Oglivy North America and Director/Professor VCU Brandcenter
A fascinating read that educates, informs and enlightens. I know of no other publication that gives such a deep dive into the History of Advertising from ancient times through COVID times. One great takeaway was "The 10 commandments of Advertising" written in 1911 but still holds true today. Enjoy the read.
-- Kevin Swanepoel, CEO of The One Club For Creativity
A History of Advertising: The First 300,000 Years by Jef Richards is in a league of its own. This wildly original and fast-paced examination carries us through the world of advertising from its earliest beginnings to the modern-day. Unlike any other book, this one takes us from the very beginnings, through the highs and lows of advertising, posing provocative questions along the way and offering fascinating points of view on how branding, advertising and PR evolved in lock step with human existence.
Jef is an enormously gifted author and his writing fast paced, insightful and slam-bang full of remarkable details is an indulgence and rewards readers (including this jaded ad agency CEO) with a new and completely unique portal into our shared past and gives us an intuitively connected view to how advertising transformed and shaped the world into what we see today. For marketers to history buffs, Richards has created a story that will keep you turning the pages and might even help connect a few dots of intriguing facts that you never knew existed in the first place.
-- John Minnec, former CEO FCB London and Havas Chicago
In addition to the extensive timelines, great selection of illustrations, and snappy prose, Richards has compiled impressive lists of advertising institutions, trade characters, jingles, and slogans over time. Arranged in chronological order from date of the earliest creation, these collections should be of great interest to most readers who have lived through some of this history.
* Journal of Macromarketing *
