Manipulated!

Advertising was already considered a profession with a difficult reputation around 1900 - at best, its economic necessity was questioned. It was not until the 1970s that the stigma of the profession began to slowly dissipate. The book traces the struggle of the Swiss advertising industry for its reputation and tells the story of Switzerland's consumer society in the 20th century through the changing dynamics of the unequal pair of advertiser and consumer. The first enamel signs promoting chocolate were denounced as "advertising plague." Even in the 1930s, Swiss advertisers complained about reduced marriage prospects due to their profession. Additionally, in the economically successful post-war years, they earned the reputation of being unrestrained manipulators. Until the 1970s, trade magazines lamented the poor self-esteem of advertisers - a situation that changed only slowly.