Adland: Searching for the Meaning of Life on a Branded Planet: James P. Othmer

James P. Othmer worked in advertising for twenty years, working his way from copywriter to creative director at agency giant Young & Rubicam, before leaving, burnt-out, to become a novelist. But he was soon drawn back to research this engrossing memoir-of-sorts, fascinated by the ways in which the industry massively changed in the post-digital era – and the reasons behind the decline of the big agencies in favour of smaller, flexible, tech-savvy ‘shops’.

Like so many of the best books, Adland is a strange hybrid: entertaining, dark-witted confessional; cultural journey through the history of advertising, from the 1950s to the present; and a fascinating collection of reportage-style interviews on the state of the industry with various creatives, consultants, account executives, CEOs and new millennium digital whizzes. Anecdotes include partying in a Normandy castle, fighting with KFC franchisees, and his love-hate relationship with an inspirational boss. But at the heart of it is a passionate, thought-provoking engagement with the relationship between advertising and contemporary culture – and where it’s headed.