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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy

Factual: Money

The stories of inventions, ideas and innovations which helped create the economic world

Tim Harford tells the fascinating stories of inventions, ideas and innovations which have helped create the economic world.

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50 Things That Made the Modern Economy: Bonsack machine

Discussion & Talk

Bonsack machine

12/10/2019 GMT

BBC World Service - 50 Things That Made the Modern Economy, Bonsack machine

Why did a machine for making cigarettes transform the advertising industry?

An 1881 invention made it much easier to mass-produce cigarettes – but not to sell them. It was time for advertisers to get creative.

In 1881, James Bonsack developed a machine that made it far easier to mass-produce cigarettes. But at the time, other tobacco products were much more popular – so manufacturers had to find new ways of getting people’s attention. Tim Harford explains why the methods they devised are still working on consumers today.

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