Advertising in the United States has infiltrated virtually every aspect of life from classroom television through supermarket check-out lanes to doctors' surgeries. The advertising industry is constantly seeking new consumer avenues, the most recent including niche marketing, database marketing, cross-promotion and place-based marketing. In this valuable resource, Matthew P McAllister critically assesses the role of advertising in society, examines the recent innovations in technique, and discusses the social and commercial implications of these developments.