Plot Summary

Advertising is inescapable. It covers public spaces, punctuates the airwaves and fills our personal screens with a sole purpose: to influence our behaviour. It has evolved and adapted to each technological wave, from print to TV and the Internet, selling everything from shampoo to politicians. From Madison Avenue to Silicon Valley, Scott Harper deconstructs advertising’s pervasive presence through a comprehensive and engaging look at the dynamic changes it has made over the past half century—shifting from “mad men” to “math men.” Every mouse click and swipe makes caveat emptor ever more urgent and difficult. As Big Data provides an exciting new frontier for industries to target their campaigns to individuals, the era of splashy billboards and catchy jingles may have given way to a much more sophisticated means of tapping into our subconscious. What happens when companies know you better than you know yourself?