Advertising: The attempt to persuade

Advertising expenditures account for around 1% of world GDP - one penny in every pound we spend - and have grown massively as capitalist economies have thrived. Critics believe that advertising is a powerful tool to mould consumers' behaviour, relying all too often on dubious and underhand methods. Advertisers and ad agencies point to the extensive legal and moral controls on their actions, and justify their practices as an efficient part of doing business. We search for the elusive truth.

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