Boddewyn's book provides a rare insight into how advertising self-regulatory bodies really work--with or without outsiders. Many other studies have lauded self-regulation or dismissed it preemptorily, but this book focuses on its logic, limits, and ultimate contributions to the societal control of advertising. It shows how outsiders--where available and willing to participate--contribute to its functioning while the advertising industry remains in control of the standards applied by self-regulatory bodies. Practitioners, consumerists, and policy-makers should greatly benefit from reading this multinational comparison of a dozen countries with very different economic and legal environments.
Sylvan M. Barnet, Jr., Chairman, Advisory Council, International Advertising Association