Advertising in China: The Birth of an Industry (1914–1956) offers an innovative perspective on the emergence of Chinese consumer society through an in-depth historical analysis of the advertising industry in pre-communist China. Drawing on previously unexplored primary sources (professional literature, newspapers, photographs, municipal archives), this book traces the formation and growing influence of advertising agencies and professional advertising associations. It demonstrates that this hybrid and transnational profession played a crucial role in introducing new consumer goods to China and in the creation of the myth of the "four hundred million consumers."

This book will appeal to researchers and students specializing in modern Chinese history, urban studies, consumption, media, and mass communication, as well as professionals in advertising and marketing. Advertising in China: The Birth of an Industry offers a new perspective on the rise of Chinese consumer society, highlighting the crucial yet underappreciated role of professional agencies in introducing new consumer goods and shaping the myth of the "four hundred million consumers.