Advertising and Identity in Europe: The I of the Beholder

As European Business ties develop, how are they reflected in the way companies promote themselves? And as our sense of group identity is broken down by global communications technologies, how do adverts continue to target mass audiences? This is the first analysis of the impact of adverstising, in terms of culture and of business, across the national boundaries of Europe. With examples from Siberia to the Iberian Peninsula, chapters explore the different constructions of regional, national, social and sexual identities exploited by advertisers to render their messages effective. They also consider the successes and failures of several Europewide strategic marketing plans, and describe stylistic and persuasive qualities of specific promotional texts.