The Gutter Bar (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781067127404)

A razor-sharp satire of advertising, ambition and human folly set in the South of France. There are many talented and dedicated people who work in the world of advertising, unfortunately this book is not about them.

Instead we meet Ben Putney. Ben should be on top of the world. He's been crowned President of the Cannes Advertising Jury - but with a collapsing marriage, an overbearing father, mutinous colleagues and a duplicitous jury panel, Ben is discovering that being "top of the industry" mostly means learning to lie better.

Cannes should be paradise: Mediterranean sun, obscene expense accounts, oceans of rosé and hotels out of an Elton John video. Instead, Ben finds himself navigating jury politics, vengeful colleagues, a suspiciously flawless yoghurt campaign, a vagrant with surprising insight, and attempted seductions.

As the week unravels, Ben faces a stark choice: cheat or lose.

Fast, funny and painfully accurate, The Gutter Bar skewers the madness of modern advertising, the absurdities of corporate life, and the stories we tell ourselves to get through the day. Perfect for fans of John Niven, Douglas Adams, David Nobbs, and anyone who's ever had to smile through a meeting that should have been an email.

If you've ever worked in advertising, you will meet someone you know in The Gutter Bar.