Advertising is a vital component of marketing. Advertising is defined as the activity or profession of producing advertisements for commercial products or services. The earliest forms of advertising date back to ancient Rome when those on the street would advertise their products through speech. Fast forward to now, and there have been many books written about advertising. Here are the top 5 books on advertising that you need in your personal library.
1. Ogilvy on Advertising
Everyone in the advertising world has read this at some point in their lives. David Ogilvy is regarded as the father of advertising and this book clearly demonstrates why. In his book, Ogilvy details the dos and don’ts of advertising. Although he wrote this book decades ago, the tips he provides still hold true to this day. My personal favorite quote from his book is “When I write an advertisement, I don’t want you to tell me that you find it ‘creative.’ I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product.”
2. Adland: A Global History of Advertising
“Adland” is an amazing book because it provides a closer look at the history of modern-day advertising. In it, you’ll find a detailed history of where advertising started and explores it through interesting moments in history like The Great Depression. It provides a closer look at key developments like the explosion of radio and television all the way to the exploration of digital media like podcasts. Mark Tungate does an amazing job of turning this book into a fun, creative journey.
3. My Life in Advertising and Scientific Advertising
This book is a must in the advertising industry. It is recommended to be read before you get into any form of advertising. In this book written by Claude Hopkins, you can expect to gain a clear understanding of what advertising is. Being regarded as the founder of modern advertising, Claude Hopkins wrote about his life in the advertising industry. In it, you can expect to learn things such as how to know your audience and how to properly advertise an item. When referring to this book, David Ogilvy once said “Nobody should be allowed to have anything to do with advertising until he has read this book seven times. It changed the course of my life.”
4. Confessions of an Advertising Man
On the list again is a book written by Ogilvy himself. “Confessions of an Ad Man” is the essential guide to modern advertising. With chapters about how to manage advertising agencies to writing potent copy, this book is always on my table. I have reread this book multiple times myself and have paragraphs highlighted. This book has been revised in small ways to correct minor errors to help the book hold its relevance in the current generation.
5. The Art of Client Services: 58 Things You Should Know
Robert Solomon, an advertising executive wrote 58 things that anyone and everyone in client services should know. In “The Art of Client Services”, Solomon writes about his successes and failures in the advertising world. This book is geared toward anyone in advertising. Copywriters, researchers, planners, and art directors are just some of the professions that benefit from reading this book. With a newer revision, you can find chapters on technology in the new era. This book is for you if you’re trying to get ahead in the game or get back into the game.
