A satire of advertising, ego, and the glorious stupidity of human ambition.
Ben Putney should be on top of the world. He's just been made President of the Cannes Lions jury - the highest honour in advertising. But with a troubled marriage, a father who treats him like a walking disappointment, and bosses who see him as eminently disposable, Ben is having a tough time of it.
Cannes should be paradise. Mediterranean heat. Endless ros . Hotels befitting an Elton John video.
Instead Ben is fighting jury-room politics, a suspiciously perfect yoghurt campaign, over-sexed Australians, and a philosophical vagrant who seems to understand the business better than anyone in a suit.
As the week unravels, Ben faces the inevitable question, how far would you cheat to win?
Fast and funny, The Gutter Bar skewers the absurdities of corporate life, and the delusions that help get us through the day.
Perfect for fans of John Niven, Douglas Adams, Ben Elton, and anyone who like to laugh at the absurdities of corporate life.
Like it or not, you will meet someone you know in The Gutter Bar.
"The best book about advertising since "e" by Matt Beaumont'."