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The First Adman: Thomas Bish and the Birth of Modern Advertising
The First Adman reveals the untold story of how modern advertising was pioneered 200 years ago by the entrepreneur, self-publicist and dodgy Member of Parliament, Thomas Bish. Royalty and politicians courted this early media star and society figure, who was one of the best-known men in the land and allegedly more famous than the prime minister himself.
Bish’s promotional creativity helped the old state lottery raise the equivalent of £2 billion for good causes, also bringing him great wealth. Hiring the essayist Charles Lamb as a copywriter and George Cruikshank to illustrate his advertisements, Bish professionalised ad campaigns. Techniques he pioneered include spin doctoring, graphic design, modern typography, direct marketing, and even early market research. Unfortunately his talents did not prevent him from being expelled from both the Stock Exchange and the House of Commons.
Drawing on previously inaccessible contemporary sources, Gary Hicks resurrects the Bish brand, as famous in its day as Coca-Cola is today, and explains how it started a publicity revolution. This is an entertaining and rollicking tale of an eccentric marketing genius whose extraordinary legacy survives in modern mass media.
Bish’s promotional creativity helped the old state lottery raise the equivalent of £2 billion for good causes, also bringing him great wealth. Hiring the essayist Charles Lamb as a copywriter and George Cruikshank to illustrate his advertisements, Bish professionalised ad campaigns. Techniques he pioneered include spin doctoring, graphic design, modern typography, direct marketing, and even early market research. Unfortunately his talents did not prevent him from being expelled from both the Stock Exchange and the House of Commons.
Drawing on previously inaccessible contemporary sources, Gary Hicks resurrects the Bish brand, as famous in its day as Coca-Cola is today, and explains how it started a publicity revolution. This is an entertaining and rollicking tale of an eccentric marketing genius whose extraordinary legacy survives in modern mass media.
212 pages, Paperback
First published October 30, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 13, 2016
Gary Hicks' The First Adman offers an insight into the birth and early years of advertising. Hicks' argues that the world of advertisements we experience in the 21 century finds their roots more than 200 years ago in England.
The book's focus is on Thomas Bish and his son. Together, these men were at the forefront of creating ad campaigns, promotions, gimmicks, schemes and more than a few scandals that all revolved around the concept of selling the public a product, an idea, a medicine, and, perhaps most notably, a chance to win money in a lottery.
Hicks' book is wide-ranging and full of information and anecdotes about the world of pre-Victorian and Victorian England. The book is an interesting read. While not an in-depth analysis, it does offer much information for the curious and the person interested in learning about some of the byways and corners of Victorian times.
I am always somewhat hesitant to recommend a book that has an obvious shortcoming and so here is my hesitation. Hicks writes at one point that Sairy Gamp, a character "in Dickens' 1848 novel Martin Chuzzlewit " which shows a lack of editing/careful proofreading. Martin Chuzzlewit was published in parts between 1842 and 1844 and first published as a complete novel in 1844, not 1848. This may have been an proofreading slip. Still, it does raise the question of accuracy of the facts.
By all means consider this book as one to read for its content. All books offer a thesis and each reader can either agree or disagree with the text's thesis. Sadly, one should not need to read a book which gets it simple historical facts incorrect.
The book's focus is on Thomas Bish and his son. Together, these men were at the forefront of creating ad campaigns, promotions, gimmicks, schemes and more than a few scandals that all revolved around the concept of selling the public a product, an idea, a medicine, and, perhaps most notably, a chance to win money in a lottery.
Hicks' book is wide-ranging and full of information and anecdotes about the world of pre-Victorian and Victorian England. The book is an interesting read. While not an in-depth analysis, it does offer much information for the curious and the person interested in learning about some of the byways and corners of Victorian times.
I am always somewhat hesitant to recommend a book that has an obvious shortcoming and so here is my hesitation. Hicks writes at one point that Sairy Gamp, a character "in Dickens' 1848 novel Martin Chuzzlewit " which shows a lack of editing/careful proofreading. Martin Chuzzlewit was published in parts between 1842 and 1844 and first published as a complete novel in 1844, not 1848. This may have been an proofreading slip. Still, it does raise the question of accuracy of the facts.
By all means consider this book as one to read for its content. All books offer a thesis and each reader can either agree or disagree with the text's thesis. Sadly, one should not need to read a book which gets it simple historical facts incorrect.
February 11, 2013
The First Adman was sent to me by the publisher through Goodreads' Giveaway program. I have mixed feelings about the book. It had, in my mind, a number of problems. Its focus is purported to be Thomas Bish and his role in the history of advertising. The first few chapters of the book are littered with anecdotes about people peripherally tied to advertising and the lottery. The middle deals with the various ways of promoting the lottery until its cessation in 1826. The rest of the book deals discusses Bish's various business dealings and political career outside of the lottery.
I enjoyed reading about the various aspects to the marketing of the lottery. Broken down into chapters representing writers, illustrators, and the actual promoters, this part of the book shone. It was interesting to read how various artists and famous names were relegated to copy writing and catchy illustrations to make an income. In the afterword, I learned that the author had written another book on "How the Lottery Shaped the World," so it didn't surprise me that this section interested me the most.
Until the discontinuation of the lottery system, we don't read all that much about Bish. He's the man behind the machine, I get it, but I didn't get a feel of how much of the machine he actually built. In the end, all I really saw him as was someone out to line his own pockets. For all of his charity and pet projects in Parliament, most of them seemed to help him out as much as they helped the country or the people. Perhaps records were hard to come by to paint a more complete picture of the man; we see a few involvements of his, from his investment in Vauxhall Gardens to his role as MP, but the importance of his participation and his addition to his world, even advertising, didn't really sink in with me. A couple of times, mention is made of the advertising innovations his business used, but they're presented out of pace, as an addendum or sideshow to the events in the book.
I wanted to like the book, but it just didn't do it for me. I know a little more about the first half of 19th century London, but I really don't have a feel for Bish and his contribution to advertising.
I enjoyed reading about the various aspects to the marketing of the lottery. Broken down into chapters representing writers, illustrators, and the actual promoters, this part of the book shone. It was interesting to read how various artists and famous names were relegated to copy writing and catchy illustrations to make an income. In the afterword, I learned that the author had written another book on "How the Lottery Shaped the World," so it didn't surprise me that this section interested me the most.
Until the discontinuation of the lottery system, we don't read all that much about Bish. He's the man behind the machine, I get it, but I didn't get a feel of how much of the machine he actually built. In the end, all I really saw him as was someone out to line his own pockets. For all of his charity and pet projects in Parliament, most of them seemed to help him out as much as they helped the country or the people. Perhaps records were hard to come by to paint a more complete picture of the man; we see a few involvements of his, from his investment in Vauxhall Gardens to his role as MP, but the importance of his participation and his addition to his world, even advertising, didn't really sink in with me. A couple of times, mention is made of the advertising innovations his business used, but they're presented out of pace, as an addendum or sideshow to the events in the book.
I wanted to like the book, but it just didn't do it for me. I know a little more about the first half of 19th century London, but I really don't have a feel for Bish and his contribution to advertising.
August 15, 2013
Overall, this book is enjoyable, informative, and a person doesn't have to have historical education to enjoy it - an interest is more than enough. This book will ignite and inspire a person's interest in the 19th century even more after reading too!
The book is not a laborious read; the chapters are broken down into different categories which helps the reader reach maximum understanding of the content. Language is very accessible to all readers, and there is a strong friendly authorial voice and tone, again making understanding easier and brings the author and readers to the same level. Hicks explained and demonstrated everything in a skillful manner - thoroughly and in a way that all readers could understand, but not in a patronising way.
I very much enjoyed the images throughout which added to the authenticity of the information and brought it all to life for me. There wasn't as much content specifically about Thomas Bish as I expected there to be, but I actually liked this as it gave me more general knowledge across the spectrum of advertising in the 19th century period.
Gary Hicks has done his research tremendously well, and everything that is included is relevant - I am impressed by these skills, and it made the reading very enjoyable.
I am very grateful to the author and to Goodreads for sending this book to me through Goodreads Firstreads.
The book is not a laborious read; the chapters are broken down into different categories which helps the reader reach maximum understanding of the content. Language is very accessible to all readers, and there is a strong friendly authorial voice and tone, again making understanding easier and brings the author and readers to the same level. Hicks explained and demonstrated everything in a skillful manner - thoroughly and in a way that all readers could understand, but not in a patronising way.
I very much enjoyed the images throughout which added to the authenticity of the information and brought it all to life for me. There wasn't as much content specifically about Thomas Bish as I expected there to be, but I actually liked this as it gave me more general knowledge across the spectrum of advertising in the 19th century period.
Gary Hicks has done his research tremendously well, and everything that is included is relevant - I am impressed by these skills, and it made the reading very enjoyable.
I am very grateful to the author and to Goodreads for sending this book to me through Goodreads Firstreads.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews