Publisher's Synopsis
Gary Hicks reveals the untold story of how modern advertising was pioneered 200 years ago by the entrepreneur, self-publicist and dodgy Member of Parliament, Thomas Bish. Hiring the essayist Charles Lamb as a copywriter and George Cruikshank to illustrate his advertisements, Bish professionalised ad campaigns. Techniques he pioneered including spin doctoring, graphic design, modern typography, direct marketing, and even early market research. This is the tale of an eccentric marketing genius whose extraordinary legacy survives in modern mass media.
