The Advertising Age Encyclopedia of Advertising
The G&L Guitars Ad Campaign is published in the The Advertising Age Encyclopedia of Advertising
This comprehensive reference source takes a broad look at the advertising industry. Its focus is primarily historical because, as the editors point out, “much of advertising’s past remains buried, reported only in rare press accounts and other primary sources.” Included are profiles of 120 ad agencies from around the world, 80 of them contemporary. Also covered are 40 U.S. agencies of historic interest that have either merged with other entities or gone out of business. In many cases, the encyclopedia provides an agency’s first formal written history.
In addition to the agency histories, one finds entries for advertisers, brands, and campaigns (Airlines; Geritol; Kraft Foods, Inc.; Yahoo!); individuals (Burnett, Leo; Hearst, William Randolph; Packard, Vance); practical and theoretical aspects of advertising (Infomercial, Music and jingles, Package design, Psychographics, Targeting); and social, cultural, and historical issues (Consumer movement; Cultural symbols; Minorities: Representations in advertising). There are also 52 entries dealing with the history of advertising in specific countries or regions (Canada, Middle East). Ad agency profiles start with brief chronologies of key dates and alphabetical lists of major clients. Advertiser profiles include lists of principal agencies. Most entries conclude with a list of further reading. Entry length generally ranges from one to six or seven pages. The set is richly illustrated, and each volume includes a 24-page section of color plates that are cross-referenced from related entries. The hundreds of illustrations, most of which came from the Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising, and Marketing History in Duke University’s Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, enhance the usefulness of the volumes and bring the words to life.