Most advertising and marketing executives cannot claim a mastery of advertising and marketing law; yet, it is an area we deal in almost every day. Are we aware of the repercussions some of our decisions can have? Probably not. Douglas Wood explains why we should be. In Please Be Ad-Vised: A Legal Reference Guide for the Advertising Executive, Mr. Wood provides knowledge and know-how advertising and marketing professionals need — and points out countless legal landmines along the way. Who should read this book? Certainly lawyers, CEOs, creative directors, and CFOs will find it an important reference tool in managing their company’s advertising and marketing activities. In addition, this book provides hands-on guidance to the brand manager, account executive, media planner, copywriter, producer, human resource manager, and business affairs manager. Those who teach or study advertising and marketing will find it a valuable resource, as it is packed with examples of common problems and their practical solutions. In short, it should be read by anyone involved in the day-to-day business of advertising and marketing. Part I of the book covers the Creative Side of Advertising, while Part II is an in-depth text on the Business Side of Advertising. There are over 20 sample forms available online for everything from agency/advertiser contracts to releases and production checklists. The narrative sections are quick lessons on the issues, while the “Why It Matters” and “Warning” sections are essential cautions and real world examples of problems that can or have occurred. As so many of Mr. Wood’s examples warn us, often the addition of a single fact — or the absence of one — seemingly of no significance to a lawyer and non-lawyer alike, can change the outcome of a case 180 degrees. But for the marketing or advertising executive, or even for a lawyer of other specialties, Mr. Wood calls attention to areas for caution and further examination that might if overlooked, by default, have disastrous results.
