The book, with 1,873 pages, is the work of John McDonough, the Museum of Broadcast Communications and Karen Egolf of Advertising Age. Written and edited by professors, professionals and specialist editors, it is the first industry reference book that makes use of Advertising Age's vast 70-year-old library archives.

The encyclopedia is global, multi-cultural, cross-referenced and cross-disciplinary. Covering the history, trends, issues, people, companies that drive all aspects of marketing, each volume includes gorgeous colour reproductions of some of the most famous ads from marketing history.

According to a New York Times article, "It offers a history of advertising that takes its flaws, deceits and ideologies into account but also provides some insight into the institutions, agencies and corporations that have given it shape. McDonough argues in his introduction that within the last 150 years, for the first time in human history, it became widely possible to produce more than was demanded and to offer more than was needed. Advertising was a response to surplus."

People covered include: William (Bill) Bernbach, Mary Wells Lawrence, Henry R Luce, David Ogilvy, Alain de Pouzilhac, Rosser Reeves, Helen Lansdowne Resor, Martin S Sorrell.

The topics include: Commission System, Country profiles, Ethics, Global Advertising, History of Advertising, Holding Companies, Market Research, Media Agencies, Minorities: Representations in Advertising and Youth Market

Agencies featured include: BBDO, Benton & Bowles, Leo Burnett Co. Dentsu Inc. Doyle Dane Bernbach, Foote, Cone & Belding, Grey Advertising, Lord & Thomas, McCann-Erickson Worldwide, Needham, Harper & Steers, Publicis Group, Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising, J. Walter Thompson Co., Young & Rubicam

Marketers featured include: Burma-Shave, Coca-Cola Co.
Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp., Hershey Foods Corp., IBM Corp., Kraft Foods, McDonald's Corp., Military Advertising, Philip Morris Cos., Procter & Gamble Co. and
Volkswagen.