Advertising Now. Print - Book Review

“Advertising Now. Print,” edited by Julius Wiedemann and published by Taschen, is an excellent collection of advertising from around the globe. With over 600 pages of unique, eye-catching ads the book is a perfect resource for those interested in advertising or looking for creative inspiration.

“Advertising Now. Print” is divided into ten subject areas, nicely breaking up a book that would be quite an undertaking in one sitting. This convenient organization is great for all types of readers, from a student looking for inspiration for a project to a professional focused on a particular field. The chapters are Business & Retailers, Food & Beverage, Health & Beauty, Home Care & Hygiene, Media, Miscellaneous, Social & Political, Sports & Apparel, Technology & Equipment, and Transport. I enjoyed focusing on a specific industry, noticing the differences in style from country to country when comparing them based on similar products. Some ads were funny, others shocking, others a bit more conservative… but practically every one included is clever and original.

When browsing a book of hundreds of advertisements, it’s nice to have some reading material longer than ad copy. “Advertising Now. Print” provides this with a collection of essays written by top industry professionals. On topics such as “advertising culture” and “leading a creative agency,” the essays provide interesting commentary from creative directors at leading agencies, including BBDO and Euro RSCG. Perhaps my favorite (and shortest) of the essays is on trends, in which Bob Isherwood (Worldwide Creative Director of Saatchi & Saatchi) says little more than “If I write about the latest trends, they won’t be by the time you’re reading this.”

Along with each ad is information such as the campaign it was included in, the agency that created it, country of origin, year, awards won and the names of specific people who worked on it. I constantly found myself checking these details, and they are a nice addition to make the book a useful resource, seeing who is doing what type of work and where it is being seen.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading (and often just looking at) “Advertising Now. Print.” I often found myself laughing, in deep thought, and even occasionally saying, “wow, they took that too far.” The book is a comprehensive look at what different countries and agencies are doing to capture an audience in a world with increasing distraction and short attention spans. Basically, the book does what a good ad should do… it grabs the reader’s attention and leaves an impression.