The Encyclopedia of Advertising will be the definitive illustrated reference source on the general field of advertising. The Encyclopedia is international in scope, with some 600 entries. It puts within easy reach detailed historic surveys of leading agencies and major advertisers, past (Ruthrauff & Ryan; Ipana Toothpaste) and contemporary (Young & Rubicam; General Motors), as well as many of their most famous campaigns. The project also includes biographies of many of the most influential men and women in the field; important issues affecting advertising, such as the history of the consumer movement, self-regulation, the cultural influence of advertising, and mass communications theory; and various aspects of advertising methodology and strategy, such as research, brand building, media, direct marketing, the commission system, and many other issues.
The Encyclopedia of Advertising has been produced under the auspices of the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago (also the sponsor of Fitzroy Dearborn's highly-acclaimed Encyclopedia of Television), in conjunction with the Hartman Center for Sales, Advertising, and Marketing History at Duke University. An international team of more than 200 advisers and contributors has been involved in the preparation of this landmark work.