Book excerpt: Brazil, Russia, India and China are four of the largest and most dynamic contemporary emerging economies in the world. Strong economic growth in each of these economies has been accompanied by the expansion of the advertising and consumer goods sectors. Using a series of country studies, this book explores the dynamics of global capitalism from the perspective of global advertising. The book highlights the on-going expansion of advertising and consumerism against the wider socio-economic, political and cultural contexts. It provides fresh insights about contemporary global priorities, and argues that advertising plays a key role linking culture and the economy. By presenting individual case studies of advertising campaigns, it offers examples of the globalisation of specific brands. Environmental implications of the expansion of advertising and its role in stimulating consumerism are explored in the context of the four emerging economies. The book compares and contrasts the individual country profiles, and makes an assessment of the validity of the argument regarding their projected importance and the likelihood of their future dominance of the global economy.