Up the Agency: The Funny Business of Advertising

It took me a little while to get warmed up to this book, but then I just couldn't put it down. As I read it I felt like a very insightful fly on the wall, as years of experience and experiences were downloaded in a very entertaining and boiled down manner. For people who like an insider view into various industries, or anyone trying to navigate the advertising world specifically, this is a must read. I have Angela to thank for referring this to me at a Cocktail party at Ad:Tech San Francisco 2009 after I had mentioned my other favorite, Confessions of an Advertising Man. Confessions of an Advertising Man

Mr. Mayle's disillusionment after working over a decade in advertising and then deconstructing the profession in this tightly written, little book makes for a hilarious read. When combining artistically bent personalities with other employees whom are more anal-retentive pencil pushers to run the advertising agency and this is what you will invariably get. This book could be applied to describe other creative industries such as moviemaking. Funny, sarcastic, insightful and right on the money in describing this field. Who thought educational material like this could be so much fun to read. I ate this one up. Bon appetit.

A wonderfully quick read and a peek behind the curtain into the world of advertising agencies. Having worked in a variety of technical and management capacities at Interactive Agencies of one form or another since the mid 90s, it doesn't take much imagination to see how the business has changed little in structure or form since when Mayle was involved with the likes of David Ogilvy and others. The book is very short and sweet (isn't that what copywriters are for?), and I'd highly recommend to anyone currently involved in an agency or looking to get there. If you're not already somehow involved with an agency, it may be difficult to catch the beauty of his sharp wit, but you should still find it entertaining.

Mr. Mayle gives us a sneek peek from the ad world. Even though he is from an older genre of ad people, his ideas and experiences are still valid. He identifies ad people as a special race with special traits and funny habbits that anthropologists should investigate. I especially reccomend this book to beginners who whould like know what to expect from their carriers and to veterans who need a mirror or a good laugh. He is witty and his language is easy going. I enjoyed the book and couldn't keep myself from nodding time to time.

Peter Mayle has a hilarious style all his own. He leads you through the advertising business with his witty anecdotes and quirky analogies. When you reach the last page, you'll wish there were more!