Irène Grenet was a former student at the Ecole Normale Supérieure and the Ecole Nationale d’Administration. She held several positions in the Ministry of Economy and Finance, before becoming Deputy Managing Director of the advertising department at France Télévisions.

In this short, hard-hitting and insightful text, Irène Grenet outlines the commercial, intellectual and cultural object that is advertising.
Advertising, as dreamlike as it is capitalist, is an economic phenomenon before being an intellectual object. This ambiguity gives it a special place in modern society. Targeted advertising, a pretext for data collection, threatens consumers’ privacy and freedom. It is a beautiful lie that can also be deceitful, but more than a marketing tool… It can condone, promote, move and educate.
Are dangerous commercial strategies hiding before the vague notion of advertising? Without ever dismissing criticism, or falling into Manicheism, Irène Grenet takes a nuanced and intelligent approach to this fascinating subject.
This book for the general public, about a topic that affects us all, should be read by any citizen who wants to get involved in the debate and learn more about this little-known object.