Da Vendere, vendere, vendere alle Lezioni di pubblicit?: idee, attivit? e scritti dell?imprenditore Arturo Gazzoni tra il 1928 e il 1943

From Vendere, vendere, vendere to Lezioni di pubblicita: ideas, activities and writings of the entrepreneur Arturo Gazzoni between 1928 and 1943 In this paper we describe ideas and activities of Arturo Gazzoni - Bolognese industrialist - with particular reference to the content of two his books: Vendere, vendere, vendere (published in 1928) and Lezioni di pubblicita (published in 1943). In both volumes, Gazzoni proposes innovative ideas in the field of advertising; in Vendere, vendere, vendere he describes also the main aspects of the launching of its products. As chemical-pharmaceutical industrialist, Gazzoni promoted successfully, in the first half of the twentieth century, three products: Antinevrotico De Giovanni, Idrolitina and Pasticca del Re Sole. The last two products - now manufactured and merchandised by other companies - are still on the market. In his writings, Arturo Gazzoni proposes subjects - innovative in Italian debate - such as the relationship between advertising and consumer psychology, the effectiveness of various types of advertising, the role of the media (radio and cinema), the importance of the teaching of advertising in schools and universities. In Gazzoni?s writings we can find themes and topics that in Italy will be developed and deepened only by the 1950?s onwards; at the same time, the type of products marketed by the Bolognese entrepreneur suggests a similitude with the contemporary topic of functional foods. Gazzoni is an important figure not only in terms of history of industry, but also in reference to the history of advertising and marketing in Italy and is therefore deserving of further studies and researches.