ProverbCommunicationAmerican origin1915

There's no such thing as bad publicity

Meaning: Any attention, even negative, can be beneficial.

Origin: Often attributed to the showman P. T. Barnum, but no source from his time supports that. The idea was circulating in American newspapers by 1915, and the Irish writer Brendan Behan is credited with the sharpest version: there is no such thing as bad publicity except your own obituary.

Equivalents in French

  • French: Il n'y a pas de mauvaise publicité (literally: There is no bad publicity)

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