50 More Things That Made the Modern Economy

Things That Made the Modern Economy

BBC Radio 4 LW

Original version

BBC Radio 4 FM

BBC Radio 4 is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 30th September 1967. It replaced BBC Home Service.

BBC Radio 4

Radio 4

Radio 4 (FM)

Factual

Inventions, ideas and innovations that have helped to create the modern economic world

Tim Harford introduces inventions, ideas and innovations that have helped to create the modern economic world

Things That Made the Modern Economy: Series 2: Bonsack Machine

Bonsack Machine

Series 2

BBC Radio 4 - Things That Made the Modern Economy, Series 2, Bonsack Machine

One historian of the cigarette industry reckons it invented much of modern marketing.

Before James Bonsack came along, cigarettes were far less popular than cigars, pipes or chewing tobacco. His machine, one historian claims, invented much of modern marketing.

One historian of the cigarette industry reckons it invented much of modern marketing. Why did such huge sums go into advertising early brands such as Camels and Lucky Strikes? Before an inventor called James Bonsack came along, cigarettes were far less popular than cigars, pipes or chewing tobacco. Bonsack’s machine made it possible to make huge amounts of cigarettes more cheaply – creating the need to persuade people to buy them. But, as Tim Harford explains, many modern regulators think we should be worried about the power of cigarette branding.

Producer: Ben Crighton
Editor: Richard Vadon

Things That Made the Modern Economy: Series 2

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

50 Things That Made the Modern Economy

More inventions, ideas and innovations that helped to create the modern economic world.

More inventions, ideas and innovations that have helped to create the modern economic world.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Things That Made the Modern Economy

Series 2

Bonsack Machine

Genres

Brand

Series

BBC Radio 4 FM

About BBC Radio 4