In this didactic look at advertising, including plenty of fun examples from the American ad landscape, academics Berman and Blakeman compile a textbook-ready step-by-step guide to the advertising process. Taking readers through the nuts and bolts of ad creation, the authors are unafraid to start with the basics. . . . As an explication of advertising mechanics, from brainstorming to copywriting to strategizing and media usage, Berman and Blakeman have put together a thorough . . . primer that will familiarize would-be ad professionals with the discipline's processes and principles.

Publishers Weekly

Margo Berman and Robyn Blakeman's book, The Brains Behind Great Ad Campaigns, is a much-needed one. It's not a guide to developing concepts. It's not a book about copywriting or visual communication. It's not a recipe for success. Nor is it a book about strategy, although all these topics are covered. It's more about the underlying process that results in a great advertising campaign idea. What makes this book special and so helpful for a campaign class is that it covers the right topics, in the right amount, in the right sequence and with crystal-clear examples....The Brains Behind Great Ad Campaigns joins a host of other notable advertising books. What it does better than other is help students understand what it takes to develop better ideas and it sets the stage for other advertising creative how-to books. It is well written and well organized. It is an ideal book for an upper-level undergraduate advertising campaign or capstone course. It would also be relevant for upper-level journalism studies in public relations, Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC), strategic communication or marketing communications.

Journalism Studies

This is a remarkably comprehensive account of how advertising ideas, strategies, and campaigns come about.

Edward de Bono, author of Six Thinking Hats

This book gives you a box seat view of the collaborative process needed to create outstanding campaigns including how-tos from some of the industry's superstars. And you'll see it also takes a village to raise an ad.

Pippa Seichrist, president, Miami Ad School

Packed with quotes from leading creatives, The Brains Behind Great Ad Campaigns is an engaging window on the creative process and the current role of research, strategy, and media specialists in big idea generation. The authors provide the real-world insight students need, and for both novices and those familiar with the ad industry, illustrate how agencies are adapting to today's media environment.

Janas Sinclair, University of North Carolina

I think this is a much needed book for an Advertising Campaign Capstone class. It provides tangible, insightful, and relevant advice, while numerous examples bring all the material together.

Craig Davis, Ohio University