Advertisers claimed their craft had become a predictive science by 1923

Evidence

The new confidence of the industry was captured in a 1923 manifesto entitled Scientific Advertising. “The time has come when advertising has in some hands reached the status of a science,” it boasted. “It is based on fixed principles and is reasonably exact. The causes and effects have been analyzed until they are well understood. We know what is most effective, and we act on basic law.” Nothing, in advertising, was now left to chance: “Every course is charted. The compass of accurate knowledge directs the shortest, safest, cheapest course to any destination.” — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 178

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to later chapters on algorithms and programmatic targeting claiming predictive control over audiences. — connects to: Advertising techniques originated in the 1800s but matured institutionally in the 1920s — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 1219; Early advertisers were dismissively called ‘scheme men’ before copywriting gained prestige — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 79; Belief in advertising’s power grew from salient successes despite weak proof — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 488 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Belief in advertising’s power grew from salient successes despite weak proof #expands (0.75) — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 488