[email protected] reviewed Mad Men and Bad Men by Sam Delaney
Review of 'Mad Men and Bad Men' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
It confirms the bias that the moment politicians realized the power of advertising, they fetishized it and it all became a game stripped of values. Same Delaney interviewed various admen for this book, researched the agencies and got a seat alongside politicians from both Labour and Tory to grasp the importance of selling. Selling what? Selling ideas, just like the Tories and Labour did in the early 60s or selling the persona as Thatcher did in her latter terms and Tony Blair later capitalized as well?
The book does in fact not account for any academic research on the effect that advertising has on politics, but I would not classify that as a downside. It is rather a different approach to the problem, a fun to read one, picking up the book on a Saturday, drinking coffee and putting yourself in the shoes of a politician aiming to get more …
It confirms the bias that the moment politicians realized the power of advertising, they fetishized it and it all became a game stripped of values. Same Delaney interviewed various admen for this book, researched the agencies and got a seat alongside politicians from both Labour and Tory to grasp the importance of selling. Selling what? Selling ideas, just like the Tories and Labour did in the early 60s or selling the persona as Thatcher did in her latter terms and Tony Blair later capitalized as well?
The book does in fact not account for any academic research on the effect that advertising has on politics, but I would not classify that as a downside. It is rather a different approach to the problem, a fun to read one, picking up the book on a Saturday, drinking coffee and putting yourself in the shoes of a politician aiming to get more votes than the other party. When values are lost and people care less about what happens next, what do you do? You sell an image, an illusion, you play the game, because you have fetishized it.