A small New York agency recently hired personable actors to go into swanky watering holes like the Royalton, Cafe Tabac, and Bloom and ask for a martini made with Hennessy cognac rather than the usual gin or vodka. When the barkeep said that he had never heard of such a drink, the actors would explain in loud detail exactly what brands to use. J&B Scotch would hire beautiful women to walk into bars, order J&B, and grandly turn on their heel if there wasn't any.

—James B. Twitchell, Adcult: The Triumph of Advertising in American Culture