A History of Brands: Origins of Consumer Markets (SVA Masters in Branding)

Description A History of Branding</eM will intrigue readers keen to recognize the link between culture, history, and business. Author Richard Shear teaches at the School of Visual Arts. His first pages set the scene, describing the earliest form of wall art, wordless stories told in cave paintings still visible after thousands of years in caverns across parts of Europe and Asia. They are the forerunners of today’s posters. More than a straightforward history, the chapters address advances at each chronological juncture. Shear points out how advertising has led to the development of product branding, bringing the combination of science and art from the past to the present. The invention of moving type, first shown in Gutenberg’s 15th-century printing press, halted royalty, clergy, and the wealthy from holding sole access to the printed word. The ‘Mac’, introduced by Steve Jobs in 1984, triumphed as the first personal computer, following such 19th-century lifestyle changes like department stores, chain stores, and mail order. The book’s further appeal lay in adapting the technique of concise, clear class notes. His easy writing style is enjoyable as well as edifying to read. Liberally illustrated and praising individual innovators, A History of Branding highlights the impact of posters, our ‘language of commerce.’