Large advertising agencies such as the American firm J. Walter Thompson entered the German marketplace in the mid-1920s and ushered in a new view of advertising as a professional and systematic science. A 1929 trade publication described the industry as follows: “Today, consulting a client no longer is about ingenious inspiration, 'original ideas,' tasteful opinions, artistic considerations, and the like. The consultant is no longer the jack-in-the-box he used to be, overflowing with imagination and impulsiveness. His successes must be the result of study, for serving a customer does not mean offering purely theoretical concepts. All success is based on careful calculation and the ability to completely penetrate the specific consumer’s psyche. [ . . . ] It involves the analysis of advertising materials, scientific product testing, market research, organization, drawing and photography, the assessment of results, text experts, printers, and production.” From: Hans Wündrich-Meissen, "Aufgaben des Beraters," in Die Reklame 22 (1929), pp. 445-46. Translation: Insa Kummer
