Marketing Madness: A Survival Guide For A Consumer Society

by Michael Jacobson

Overview

In 1983, Reese's Pieces made their debut on the silver screen, gobbled up by that lovable alien ET, and sales of the candy shot up instantly by 66 percent. Reebok has sponsored the U.S. Olympic team—and the Russian team, as well! The British Boy Scouts sell space on their merit badges to advertisers. Michael Jacobson, founder of the Washington, D.C

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780367009076
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	04/18/2019
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	262
Product dimensions:	6.69(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Michael F. Jacobson is co-founder of the Center for the Study of Commercialism and executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest. Jacobson is also author or co-author of What Are We Feeding Our Kids, Marketing Disease to Hispanics, and many other books and reports.

Laurie Ann Mazur writes on issues of environmental and social justice.

Table of Contents

Foreword — Prologue — The Face of Commercialism — Targeting Children — The Private and Public Airwaves — Chapter Three — Sexism and Sexuality in Advertising — Co-opting Civic Groups, Culture, Sports — Chapter Six — Chapter Seven — Commercialized Holidays and Rituals — Facing Commercialism — The Impact of Commercialism — Call to Action

Editorial Reviews

Adding to the growing literature on consumerism and the media is this accessible, generously illustrated tour of America's seemingly limitless marketing outlets. Packing their text with examples, the authors cover the gamut of methods used to push products, including infomercials and advertorials, product placement in movies, targeting of children, telemarketing and outright lies. In part because analyzing commercialism has become a popular way to critique capitalism, this book will be of use to everyone from parents' groups concerned about children's increasing materialism to feminists outraged by the use of women's bodies in advertising. The authors look beyond analysis to offer models for action. Tips for talking back to marketeers conclude each chapter, a ``call to action'' ends the book and, throughout, the authors document examples of grassroots opposition. In North Dakota, for example, 650 students walked out of school to protest being force-fed Channel One. These features make this a true ``survival guide'' and suggest that there may be ways to slowif not stopthe up to 3000 sales pitches, advertisements and other encroachments that bombard us daily. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Adding to the growing literature on consumerism and the media is this accessible, generously illustrated tour of America's seemingly limitless marketing outlets. Packing their text with examples, the authors cover the gamut of methods used to push products, including infomercials and advertorials, product placement in movies, targeting of children, telemarketing and outright lies. In part because analyzing commercialism has become a popular way to critique capitalism, this book will be of use to everyone from parents' groups concerned about children's increasing materialism to feminists outraged by the use of women's bodies in advertising. The authors look beyond analysis to offer models for action. Tips for talking back to marketeers conclude each chapter, a "call to action" ends the book and, throughout, the authors document examples of grassroots opposition. In North Dakota, for example, 650 students walked out of school to protest being force-fed Channel One. These features make this a true "survival guide" and suggest that there may be ways to slow-if not stop-the up to 3000 sales pitches, advertisements and other encroachments that bombard us daily.

Publishers Weekly - Cahners\\Publishers_Weekly

Here we leave the narrow path of righteousness and thrift for the broad avenue of Madison and mammon. Jacobson, founder of the Center for the Study of Commercialism, and consultant Mazur here present a critique of the role the advertising industry plays in our consumer society. The authors correctly observe that we are bombarded at every turn by marketing messages, from billboards to product placements to carloads of junkmail. They lay a multitude of sins at the door of the ad industry, from pollution to domestic violence to racial genocide. This book is well written and researched and is for the most part insightful. However, at times the authors adopt a sanctimonious tone and offer up simplistic analyses and solutions to complex social issues. Recommended for communications and sociology collections.Edward Buller, "Natural History," American Museum of Natural History

Library Journal