Social Communication in Advertising

"Social Communication in Advertising has been THE central text in advertising studies for decades. This exciting updated edition applies its critical sensibilities and insights to new trends in advertising and promotion." -Matthew McAllister, Pennsylvania State University

"A welcome, skillful update of what continues to be the best textbook about advertising in society. Revisions throughout this new edition reflect the most up-to-date scholarship. Two new chapters provide important, innovative ways of making sense of the digital-advertising revolution currently underway." -James F. Hamilton, University of Georgia

"Social Communication in Advertising skillfully balances an appreciation of the history of advertising, with fresh new chapters that analyze the changing boundaries of advertising in the digital marketplace. The book is rich with examples, references key critical debates in the field and is a pleasure to read." -Natalie Coulter, York University

"Updated to the digital expectations of the current era but steeped in the historical legacies of media and persuasion that got us here, this 4th edition of Social Communication in Advertising is an essential text for students and scholars to understand the contours of our thoroughly promotional culture.

Rather than resting on easy distinctions between economic and cultural requirements, or functional and critical perspectives, Social Communication in Advertising shows us the complex institutional, professional and political dynamics of advertising throughout the twentieth and into the twenty-first centuries. Theoretically rich and conceptually sophisticated, the book is anchored by relevant and accessible examples, showing us how the "magic system" we call advertising has allowed us to create meanings about who we are and how we live.

More than a business or a profession, and more than its media or its messages, advertising has been part of the fabric of everyday life for over a century. Leiss and his co-authors demonstrate how advertising has informed social values and lifestyles, national identities and global markets, political activism and data protection. Remarkably wide ranging and yet deftly organized, this engaging and exciting new edition is highly recommended for undergraduate and graduate students to gain a "big-picture" perspective on advertising." -Melissa Aronczyk, Rutgers University