Madison Avenue and the Color Line: African Americans in the Advertising Industry [Hardcover]

Jason Chambers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 5, 2007 | ISBN-10: 0812240472 | ISBN-13: 978-0812240474

Until now, most works on the history of African Americans in advertising have focused on the depiction of blacks in advertisements. As the first comprehensive examination of African American participation in the industry, Madison Avenue and the Color Line breaks new ground by examining the history of black advertising employees and agency owners.

For much of the twentieth century, even as advertisers chased African American consumer dollars, the doors to most advertising agencies were firmly closed to African American professionals. Over time, black participation in the industry resulted from the combined efforts of black media, civil rights groups, black consumers, government organizations, and black advertising and marketing professionals working outside white agencies. Blacks positioned themselves for jobs within the advertising industry, especially as experts on the black consumer market, and then used their status to alter stereotypical perceptions of black consumers. By doing so, they became part of the broader effort to build an African American professional and entrepreneurial class and to challenge the negative portrayals of blacks in American culture.

Using an extensive review of advertising trade journals, government documents, and organizational papers, as well as personal interviews and the advertisements themselves, Jason Chambers weaves individual biographies together with broader events in U.S. history to tell how blacks struggled to bring equality to the advertising industry.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Madison Avenue and the Color Line is a major contribution to the history of advertising, consumption, and African American history. I was particularly struck by Chambers's argument that the fate of blacks in the advertising industry depended deeply on external events--whether the integrationism of the early civil rights movement, the government activism of the Great Society, or the anger of the urban riots." --Lizabeth Cohen, author of A Consumers' Republic

A cogent analysis of an important aspect of race relations in the US. Summing Up: Highly recommended. --Choice, July 2008

About the Author

Jason Chambers teaches advertising at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is an advertising consultant.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 328 pages
• Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press (December 5, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812240472
• ISBN-13: 978-0812240474
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #170,856 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ, April 15, 2008

By 

Arthur (Chicago, IL) (IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Madison Avenue and the Color Line: African Americans in the Advertising Industry (Hardcover)

Madison Avenue and the Color Line is a difficult book to put down. Professor Chambers is lucid in his chronicle of the history of African-Americans in print, radio, television, and advertising. This book describes the emergence of the black consumer market and accounts for the many, unknown champions who fought for "positive" and "real" portrayals of African Americans in communication mediums. As America continues to morph from a bowl of milk, with a few fruity pebbles, into a tossed salad, where unique taste and cultures are celebrated, Chambers book is "a must read" for anyone working in advertising, aspiring to reach segmented consumer markets, or making marketing decisions.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for anyone searching for understanding and perspective on the topic, April 6, 2008

By 

Carol Watson "Carol Watson, Tangerine-Watson,... - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Madison Avenue and the Color Line: African Americans in the Advertising Industry (Hardcover)

The lack of diversity in the advertising industry has received considerable press coverage recently with many thoughts and opinions about the reasons for the lack of diversity and the perspective of the agencies in New York and nationally. The book provides an incredibly well researched account of the history of blacks in the advertising industry far beyond anything ever published. The names, companies, trade organizations and the challenges that have come before us provide factual perspective on the efforts, success and challenges that have come along the way.

If you are in the industry or interested in entering the industry Madison Avenue no matter what color, culture or background the book is a great baseline to examine the history of people of color without the emotional accusations.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Madison Avenue and The Color Line, April 4, 2008

By 

Food & Books (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Madison Avenue and the Color Line: African Americans in the Advertising Industry (Hardcover)

* Excellent blend of the academic and anecdotal
* Provides great insight on the realities for African-Americans and people of color in the advertising industry and the larger media industry.
* A must read for everyone working in the advertising/media industry or people entering the industry
* Also a good resource for college courses in advertising/communications/media studies