An Ad Campaign for Ads
Back in the 1920s and ‘30s, the magazine Women’s Home Companion tried explicitly appealing to its readers to take the ads seriously.
Before Net Neutrality, There Was Radio Regulation
Before today's fight over net neutrality, the US government debated commercial profitability & popular access in the context of a different medium: radio.
The Populist Power of the American Trucker
How did truckers nudge the American economy toward deregulation?
Why Brands Want To Be Your BFF
Most contemporary consumers consider ourselves too savvy to be taken in by a corporation’s attempts to integrate seamlessly ...
How the Iran Hostage Crisis Changed International Journalism
On November 4th, 1979, Iranian militants took over the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. They seized 63 Americans, a number later ...
How Thrift Stores Were Born
According to the Association of Retail Professionals, about 16 to 18 percent of Americans shop at thrift stores in any given year.
The New Censorship
Americans will rail against the government at First Amendment infringements. But the government isn't the only entity that can censor speech or ideas.
How Credit Reporting Agencies Got Their Power
Early credit reporting companies urged people to “Treat their credit as a sacred trust” and argued that keeping a good credit record was a moral concern.
The Most Important Rule for Startup Success
Startups often don't play by the rules. But a wifi-enabled juicer may have been "trying to solve a problem that didn't exist."
How Typewriters Changed Everything
Voice recognition technology is beginning to compete with typing. Would the end of typing change the business world forever?