Unlike those on a commercial slant, this book provides readers with an understanding of the two-way relationship between advertising and Chinese society. Major issues addressed in this 14-chapter volume include rising consumerism, consumers' attitudes towards advertising and reactions to advertising appeals, cultural messages conveyed in advertisements, gender representations, sex appeal, offensive advertising, advertising law and regulation, advertising to children and adolescents, symbolic meanings of advertisements, public service advertising, and new media advertising and its social impact. Contributed by a group of prominent scholars on Chinese advertising research from the fields of communication, journalism, and marketing, this book resorts to a variety of research techniques including content analysis, survey, experiment, semiotic analysis, and secondary data analysis. The book aims at enhancing the sensitivity of scholars and practitioners interested in Chinese advertising to its social ramifications.