Where the Suckers Moon: The Life and Death of an Advertising Campaign

This is the best advertising book ever written. So interesting, engaging, humorous, and well written. I recommend this book to everyone I know. I couldn't put it down. Top 5 book of all time IMHO. A must read for anyone interested in the unique world of advertising.

I was mostly disappointed with this book. I love cars, majored in advertising, and read a lot of business books. This one failed to hold my attention very long each time I picked it up. On average I read about one book each week -- this one took almost 3 months to finally finish! Granted, the book was written in 1995, so I wasn't expecting a "modern" tale of ad strategy in the midst of all of the recent changes in content delivery mechanisms (the web, mobile, etc.). I did enjoy segments that detailed Subaru America's history...but was bored to tears with the build up to the change in agencies that Subaru went thru. I was expecting a "must read" for car lovers and specifically car advertising lovers...but I found this to be much more of a slog than a gripping recap of business strategy and failed execution with lessons learned. Read this only if you have some sort of a Subaru bucket list that you are working your way down, but put this one at or near the bottom.

"Suckers" is one of the best books ever written about advertising. The only element that stops this book from greatness is the author's pseudo-intellectual thumb sucking and his need to find social meaning in every crack and crevice of the culture.While there is nothing wrong with trying to do either, Rothenberg's analysis is so banal (and now dated) he sabatogues his own narrative drive.When Rothenberg sticks to the story of a failed advertising campaign, the book takes flight. He has a wonderful eye for detail and backstage manuerverings. You truly feel like you are "in the room."If you are interested in advertising or pathological corporate culture, buy this book.

This is a must-read book for anyone interested in either the automotive industry, advertising, or the sociology of selling and marketing. Rothenberg tells a tale that is interesting in and of itself, but also manages to delve into philosophical considerations that you don't often find in these sorts of industry stories. A recommendation: go online and find the ads that the book refers to. They make for interesting supplements to the text.

Suckers Moon is not an easy read, but gives a good inside view to the birth of an advertising campaign, in this case for ailing Subaru in the early '90s, by an ad agency that had never done car ads before and whose team members were openly hostile to cars! Yeah, that's where the "Death" part comes in. An interesting read for those interested in the advertising biz and even Subarus.

Whilst mentioned elsewhere that this is from the essentially pre-internet days, the politics and machinations are still plausible and applicable to today's world. Industry insiders have given this the thumbs up and recommended it as a thorough exegesis of how the industry functions in relation to its clients and also internally. The author presents a reasonably impartial perspective on unfolding events and lets the reader draw their own conclusions by providing extensive background and context. Well worth the price of admission.

Madmen aside, this book provides a gritty insioght into the humdrum, chaotic and all too human frailties that come into play in preparing a new business pitch. It made me squirm to read this raw, unvarnished and very familiar portrayal of real life in an ad agency.

I’ve never read a book so detailed about the realities of the ad business. Deeply researched, well told, and frequently hilarious.

One of the most accurate and insightful books on advertising ever written. It's a head-nodding story for advertising professionals and a rich guide for those just starting out.

a classic tale