Up the Agency: The Funny Business of Advertising

Mining the years of his career before his famous move to Southern France, Mayle ( A Year in Provence ) offers an amusing, perceptive and sometimes cynical chronicle of American and British advertising in the '60s and '70s. A former copywriter and creative director, Mayle maintains that the industry ``hovers on the fringes of big business and show business, of sports and politics, of sleaze and respectability all at once.'' He describes the ideal ``advertising man'' (but not advertising woman) and clients, discussing campaigns, awards and fringe benefits worthy of royalty. Of special note is opinionated analysis of contemporary advertising, e.g., his criticism that ``American advertising, for the most part, is in the hands of the committees instead of individuals. . . . The commercials are once again dull and predictable.'' While demonstrating some need for a stronger editorial hand, Mayle generally offers a worthwhile introduction to the world of advertising. (Oct.)