OVERVIEW Title:Madmen in Shanghai: A Social History of Advertising in Modern China (1914–1956)Speaker:Dr. Cécile Armand (École Normale Supérieure de Lyon)Date/Time:November 8, 2024 (Fri) 21:00-22:00 HKT (Nov 8, 2024 | 14:00-15:00 CET)Venue:Via ZoomLanguage:EnglishEnquiry:ihss@hku.hkABSTRACTMadmen in Shanghai: A Social History of Advertising in Modern China (1914–1956) provides a novel perspective on the emergence of Chinese consumer society through an extensive historical investigation of the advertising industry in pre-Communist China. Utilizing a diverse array of previously unexplored primary sources, including professional literature, newspapers, photographs, and municipal archives, it charts the development and growing influence of the advertising profession, fostered by professional organizations, agencies, and prominent practitioners. It underscores the crucial role of this hybrid and transnational profession in introducing an expanding array of consumer products and in shaping the enduring narrative of the “four hundred million customers.” This book will be of interest to scholars specializing in modern Chinese history, urban and consumer studies, media and mass communication, and also for professionals engaged in the fields of advertising and marketing.ABOUT THE SPEAKERA historian by training, Cécile Armand is a postdoctoral researcher at École Normale Supérieure in Lyon (Lyons), France. Her past research has focused on the social history of professional advertising in early 20th-century China, particularly emphasizing Shanghai and urban advertising. Her first monograph, titled Madmen in Shanghai: A Social History of Advertising in Modern China, stems from this research. Scheduled for publication with De Gruyter later this year, the second volume of her research titled Between Public and Market: A Spatial History of Advertising in modern Shanghai, will delve into the development of outdoor advertising in modern China, exploring the material and spatial aspects of advertisements in both the press and the streets of Shanghai. She is the author of a dozen articles on advertising, urban history, and digital methods in the humanities and Chinese studies.ABOUT THE SERIESThis monthly webinar series features the newest research on the history of Chinese business and entrepreneurship. If you have any questions about this webinar series or would be interested in giving a talk, please contact Professor John D. Wong (jdwong@hku.hk) or Professor Ghassan Moazzin (gmoazzin@hku.hk).
