As an early pioneer in the field of public relations, Edward Bernays helped to shape the course of corporate branding and advertising in the early part of the 20th century. To call Bernays simply an ad man is an oversimplification that the man himself would find great objection with. First published in 1928, “Propaganda” lays out Bernays beliefs on the complex correlation between human psychology and public opinions of politics and commerce. As Bernays himself explains: “The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. We are governed, our minds are molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of.” “Propaganda”, Bernays hugely influential work, helps to give the reader a better understanding of the profound effect of corporate and political rhetoric upon popular beliefs, a subject which is as important today as it has ever been.
