Introduction

Abstract

The oft-cited claim that ‘Half my advertising is wasted. I just don’t know which half’ has been often attributed to John Wanamaker, a nineteenth-century merchant whose eponymous department stores in Philadelphia and New York in the United States of America had invested heavily in advertising. 1 Wanamaker’s comments express a paradox that has long been associated with advertising. On the one hand, advertising and its operation are something of a mystery. Yet on the other hand, it is recognised as a powerful medium, worthy of investment. Of course, the advertising industry itself has progressively sought to dispel the former while emphasising the latter. 2 With almost US$733 billion being ..