History of advertising facts for kids
The history of advertising shows how people have tried to sell things and share messages for thousands of years. From ancient times to today, advertising has changed a lot, especially with new technologies like newspapers, radio, television, and the internet. It became a big part of how businesses work in the mid-1800s.
Between 1919 and 2007, advertising spending in the United States was about 2.2 percent of the country's total economic output (Gross Domestic Product).
Contents
- Ancient Advertising: Early Ways to Share Messages
- Advertising Grows with Printing (1500s-1800s)
- Advertising in the 20th Century and Beyond: A Global View
- See also
Even in ancient times, people used advertising. The Egyptians wrote sales messages on papyrus and put up posters on walls. In places like Pompeii, you can still find old commercial messages and political ads painted on walls. People in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome often used papyrus to advertise lost and found items.
Painting on walls or rocks to advertise is a very old practice. You can still see it in parts of Asia, Africa, and South America today. Some of these wall paintings in India are over 6,000 years old!
In ancient China, the first advertisements were spoken. People would play bamboo flutes to sell candy, as mentioned in old poems. Later, ads appeared on calligraphic signs and paper. A copper printing plate from the Song dynasty (around 960-1279 AD) was used to print posters for a needle shop. It had a rabbit logo and text saying they made fine needles. This is thought to be the world's oldest printed advertisement.
In Europe during the Middle Ages, most people couldn't read. So, instead of words, shops used pictures to show what they sold. A baker might have a picture of bread, and a shoemaker might have a boot. People selling fruits and vegetables in town squares would shout out what they had. These "town criers" also announced important news.
Before printing became common (before the 1400s), there were three main types of advertising:
- Trademarks: Long ago, people put special marks on their products to show who made them. These marks could be simple stone seals or images. For example, some swords from around 1000 AD had the maker's mark built into them. Later, special marks called hallmarks were used for valuable items like precious metals to show their quality.
- Town Criers: In ancient cities, town criers announced official news because many people couldn't read. Soon, private businesses hired them to announce auctions or promote goods. Traveling sellers also used special "street cries" to tell people what they were selling. These criers were very important before mass media existed.
- Sign-boards: Using signs for businesses is also very old. Ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks used signs for shops and to announce public events. China also had a long history of retail signs. In medieval Europe, inns and taverns had to put up signs. This practice spread to other businesses and many old pub signs can still be seen today.
Advertising Grows with Printing (1500s-1800s)
Modern advertising started to take shape when newspapers and magazines became popular in the 1500s and 1600s. The first weekly newspapers appeared in Venice in the early 1500s. In Britain, the first daily newspaper was published from 1702 to 1735. From the beginning, newspapers included advertisements, which helped pay for printing. Early ads promoted books and medicines. By the 1650s, many more types of products were advertised.
Better printing technology allowed businesses to create handbills and trade cards. For example, a London clothing seller in the 1670s gave customers a printed list of his items and prices. At first, this was seen as unusual and expensive. Early trade cards were just printed papers without pictures. By the 1700s, they were printed on thicker card and often included the business owner's name and address. Before street numbers were common, these cards often gave detailed directions to the shop. Later, with new printing methods, illustrations became common on trade cards. These cards eventually became the business cards we still use today.
In June 1836, the Paris newspaper La Presse was the first to use paid advertising to lower its price. This helped it reach more readers and make more money. Other newspapers quickly copied this idea.
Early print ads mostly promoted books, newspapers, and medicines. As printing improved, these items became more affordable. However, some early ads made exaggerated claims, which led to concerns about false advertising. British newspapers in the mid-1800s appealed to a growing middle class looking for new products. Ads featured new health remedies, fresh foods, and the latest fashions. Repeated advertising helped companies create well-known national brands that people trusted more than generic products.
Advertising Agencies Emerge
Great Britain
Thomas J. Barratt is often called the "father of modern advertising" in London. He worked for the Pears Soap company and created very effective campaigns. He used catchy slogans, images, and phrases. One famous slogan was, "Good morning. Have you used Pears' soap?"
Barratt linked the Pears brand with high quality and culture. He famously used the painting Bubbles by John Everett Millais in an advertisement by adding a bar of Pears soap to the picture. He continued this theme with ads showing well-dressed children, connecting Pears with comfortable homes and a desire for a good life.
Barratt understood many key ideas for successful advertising. He always emphasized having a strong, unique brand image for Pears and making sure the product was widely available. He also knew it was important to keep up with changing tastes. In 1907, he said that "tastes change, fashions change, and the advertiser has to change with them."
United States
In the United States, Volney B. Palmer started the first advertising agency in Philadelphia around 1840. He bought large amounts of ad space in newspapers at a discount and then resold it to businesses at a higher price. At first, businesses still created their own ads. This changed in the late 1800s when N.W. Ayer & Son was founded in New York. This agency planned, created, and managed entire advertising campaigns for its clients. They created memorable slogans for companies like De Beers and AT&T.
By 1900, advertising agencies became central to creative planning, and advertising became a recognized profession. Early agencies mainly bought and sold ad space. N.W. Ayer & Son was the first full-service agency to also create the ad content.
The amount of advertising space in newspapers grew quickly. In 1893, 104 companies spent over $50,000 each on national advertising. Many of these were for medicines, but this changed after new food and drug laws in the early 1900s. By 1914, most top advertisers were from just a few industries: food, automobiles and tires, soap and cosmetics.
France
In the late 1800s in France, Charles-Louis Havas expanded his news agency, Havas, to also include advertising services. This made it the first French company to organize advertising in this way.
Advertising in the 20th Century and Beyond: A Global View
After 1900, advertising became more global. Agencies from countries like Britain and France led the way in many parts of the world. J. Walter Thompson was the first American agency to expand internationally, opening an office in London in 1899. They grew worldwide, helping companies like General Motors export their cars. These agencies often put an American manager in charge but hired local staff who understood the language and culture better.
In 2011, advertising spending reached $143 billion in the United States and $467 billion worldwide. Today, some of the largest international advertising companies are Interpublic, Omnicom, Publicis, and WPP.
United States and Canada: Mass Marketing and Psychology
Advertising grew a lot in the United States after 1870. As factories made more products, businesses needed to encourage people to buy them. This led to the invention of mass marketing, which aimed to influence many people's buying habits. Total advertising spending in the U.S. grew from about $200 million in 1880 to nearly $3 billion in 1920.
In the 1910s and 1920s, some advertising experts believed they could use human psychology to encourage people to buy things. Edward Bernays, a nephew of the famous psychologist Sigmund Freud, was a pioneer in applying psychological ideas to advertising. He focused on understanding what motivates people.
In the 1920s, the American government, under Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover, even promoted advertising. Hoover called advertising "a vital force in our national life." This showed a strong partnership between businesses and the government.
Advertising also helped immigrants learn about and adopt a modern American lifestyle. The American Association of Foreign Language Newspapers (AAFLN) was an important tool for this, reaching immigrant communities through their local newspapers.
Canadian Media Market
Around 1900, most Canadian newspapers were local and focused on politics. They relied on loyal readers and government printing contracts. But with the rise of national advertising agencies, things changed. Advertisers wanted to reach as many people as possible, no matter their political views. This led to larger, less partisan newspapers that depended more on advertising revenue than on subscriptions. By 1900, three-fourths of Toronto newspapers' income came from ads. Newspapers started to feature more objective news, and publishers focused on reaching a wider audience. This was a golden age for Canadian newspapers, peaking around 1911.
Psychology in Advertising
At the start of the 1900s, there were few career options for women in business, but advertising was one of them. Since women often made most household purchases, advertisers realized how valuable women's insights were in creating ads. Helen Lansdowne Resor at the J. Walter Thompson Agency was one of these pioneers.
In 1911, the Woodbury Soap Company used a famous slogan, "Skin You Love To Touch," created by Helen Lansdowne. The ad suggested that using the soap would make a woman's skin more beautiful and attractive. This slogan was so popular that Woodbury used it for decades.
Psychologists like Walter D. Scott and John B. Watson also helped apply psychological theories to advertising in the early 1900s. Scott believed people were easily influenced by suggestions. Watson, a well-known psychologist, used ideas from behaviorism in advertising. This meant appealing to basic human emotions like love, happiness, or even fear to connect with consumers. This approach was very effective and shaped future advertising strategies.
Albert Lasker: "Salesmanship in Print"
Albert Lasker, often called the "father of modern advertising," worked in Chicago from 1898 to 1942. As the head of the Lord and Thomas agency, Lasker developed a way of writing ads that directly appealed to what consumers wanted. He helped create successful campaigns for products like Palmolive soap, Pepsodent toothpaste, and Kotex products. His work not only changed advertising but also influenced popular culture.
Lasker believed advertising was "salesmanship in print." He and his colleague Johnny Kennedy used this idea for the 1900 Washer Co. (later Whirlpool). Their campaign was so successful that their firm quickly became one of the largest advertisers in the country.
In 1908, Lasker hired Claude C. Hopkins, who helped create America's love for orange juice. Lord & Thomas worked with Sunkist Growers, Incorporated and created campaigns that encouraged people not just to eat oranges, but also to drink orange juice.
Lasker also made pioneering contributions like introducing classes in public schools to educate young girls about important health topics, which helped promote feminine hygiene products. He is also credited with creating the soap opera genre and using radio and television for advertising.
Radio Advertising from the 1920s
In the early 1920s, the first radio stations started broadcasting. They offered programs to encourage people to buy more radios. Advertisers quickly saw radio as a powerful new way to reach people. In the United States, advertising became the main way most radio stations were funded. In contrast, in Great Britain, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was funded by fees from radio owners and operated without commercials for a long time.
Besides selling products, advertising is also used for public service. This is called public service advertising or social marketing. It uses advertising techniques to promote non-commercial, public interest issues and initiatives, like encouraging people to be safe or healthy.
In the United States, radio and television stations are required to broadcast a certain amount of public service announcements (PSAs). Many stations air these PSAs late at night or early in the morning when fewer people are watching, saving prime time slots for paying advertisers.
Public service advertising was very important during the World Wars. During World War II, President Roosevelt created The War Advertising Council (now called the Ad Council). This organization creates many PSA campaigns for government agencies and non-profit groups, including the famous Smokey Bear campaign, which teaches about preventing forest fires.
The 1930s and World War II
The Great Depression in the 1930s hit advertising hard, as businesses cut spending. However, by the late 1930s, advertisers began to recover. They started using scientific public opinion polls and market research to understand consumers better. George Gallup, who worked for an advertising agency, was a leader in this field.
During World War II, the advertising industry played a big role in uniting Americans to support the war effort. They helped define the "American Way of Life" as being about free enterprise. After the war, advertisers were crucial in creating the consumer culture that became popular in American society.
Postwar Era and New Challenges
After World War II, many Americans moved to new homes and spent a lot on appliances, furniture, and cars. The arrival of television in the 1950s greatly expanded advertising. With more cars and leisure time, travel became popular, and the motel and tourism industries used a lot of advertising.
The Ad Council also promoted "Americanism" during the Cold War with campaigns like the Freedom Train. The Brand Names Foundation encouraged loyalty to specific brands and promoted free enterprise.
In 1957, writer Vance Packard published The Hidden Persuaders, which explored how advertisers used psychological techniques to influence consumers. He identified "compelling needs" that advertisers promised products would fulfill. The book made people think about whether these methods were fair.
Racial Themes in Advertising
Before the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s, black people were rarely seen in mainstream advertising. When they did appear, they often had lighter skin tones, which was seen as more acceptable at the time. Many national companies ignored the black market.
Pepsi-Cola was an exception. To compete with Coca-Cola, Pepsi hired black promoters who worked in black communities across the country. They visited churches, schools, and community centers, and even got famous jazz musicians like Duke Ellington to promote Pepsi.
Pepsi's ads avoided the negative stereotypes common in other media, which often showed one-dimensional characters like Aunt Jemima. Instead, Pepsi showed black customers as confident, middle-class people with good taste.
By the late 1960s, more black people were hired at advertising agencies, and there was more awareness of these issues. Black magazines like Essence and Jet often criticized racism in mainstream media. However, even in the 21st century, some ads, for example, those promoting lighter skin, were criticized for reinforcing discrimination based on skin color.
Health concerns about certain products also led to changes. By the 1950s, fears about cancer from smoking caused problems for the tobacco industry. Advertisers helped them try to reassure the public, but eventually, medical evidence led to a decline in smoking, higher taxes, and more regulations.
Cable Television and the Internet
The late 1980s and early 1990s brought cable television and channels like MTV. MTV pioneered the idea of the music video, where the audience watched for the content, which also included advertising messages. As cable and satellite TV grew, specialized channels emerged, including channels entirely devoted to advertising, like QVC and Home Shopping Network.
With the rise of the Internet in the 1990s, online advertising opened new possibilities. Many companies relied solely on advertising revenue. Around 2000, websites like Google changed online advertising by showing ads that were relevant to what a person was browsing. This led to a big increase in interactive advertising.
Interestingly, the amount of money spent on advertising compared to a country's total economic output (GDP) hasn't changed much, even with big shifts in media. For example, in the US in 1925, advertising was about 2.9 percent of GDP, using newspapers, magazines, and posters. By 1998, with television and radio, it was still around 2.4 percent.
Since the 1990s, a new business model called media for equity has emerged. Instead of selling ads, media companies provide advertising to new start-up companies in exchange for a share of ownership in those companies.
Restrictions on Advertising
Since the 1950s, both the advertising industry and governments have placed restrictions on advertising certain products, like alcohol and cigarettes. Many countries around the world have tobacco bans. In the 1990s, Quebec, Canada, even banned some advertising aimed at children.
In the United States in the 1960s, public health groups pushed to limit tobacco advertising. In 1971, cigarette ads were removed from television and radio. This caused marketers to shift their money to print media like billboards and newspapers. In the 1980s, there were calls for even more restrictions. This brought up questions about freedom of speech, but commercial advertising messages are not given the same level of protection as other types of speech. Advertising is regulated to protect consumers.
Europe: Different Styles and Influences
J. Walter Thompson was the first American agency to expand internationally, opening an office in London in 1899.
France
Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet (1906–1996) was a very important figure in French advertising in the 20th century. He founded Publicis, which grew quickly after 1945 to become one of the world's largest agencies. It helped promote France's economic growth after the war.
In France, Michelin dominated the tire industry and was a leading advertiser. Its symbol, Bibendum (the "Michelin Man" made of tires), has been famous since 1894. Bibendum was seen as a symbol of industry and French spirit. Michelin's advertising also adapted as cars became more common, and their famous guidebooks expanded to cover a wider range of prices for travelers.
American advertising agencies faced challenges in France because French businesses often disliked the American style and feared "Americanization." The French market was also heavily regulated to protect local interests.
Britain
During World War II, many American soldiers passed through Britain, leading to concerns about American influence on British culture and commerce. The Marshall Plan, a US aid program, even required British industries to improve their marketing skills. Radio and television in Britain were not allowed to have advertising because the BBC was funded by fees from radio owners. However, British commercial television started in 1954 and commercial radio in 1972.
JWT London, an American-owned advertising agency, adapted to the British style. Instead of being bold and American, it used a softer, more understated approach to fit British tastes.
Germany
In the 1920s, most German companies handled their own advertising. Small agencies bought ad space but didn't design campaigns. Traveling salesmen were important for promoting products and getting feedback from the market.
During the Nazi era (1933–1945), the government took control of the advertising industry. Advertising was used for propaganda and to promote government ideas and products, like the promised Volkswagen car and the building of autobahns. It also emphasized the availability of trusted brands, even as shortages grew during the war. After the war, many major brands returned and were seen as a sign of normal life.
By the 1950s, German advertising agencies started to copy American methods. Germany became the third largest advertising market in the world by 1994.
Italy
American influence grew strong in Italy after 1945. American firms opened offices, and Italian graphic designers like Armando Testa were inspired by modern American advertising techniques. The advertising industry helped transform Italy into a society focused on consumer goods.
For example, when automatic washing machines appeared in Italy in 1958, advertising helped make them popular. By 1970, many families owned one. Ads celebrated these new appliances as bringing "progress" and "freedom" to women's lives by making housework easier.
Benetton gained worldwide attention for its striking advertising, led by art director Oliviero Toscani. Their "United Colors of Benetton" campaign used multicultural themes and thought-provoking images to promote social messages.
Asia and Africa: Adapting to Local Cultures
Japan
Dentsu is the leading advertising firm in Japan. It started in 1901 and created Japan's first newspaper and television advertisements. In 1936, it focused solely on advertising. Today, Dentsu offers many services, from traditional marketing to sports marketing, and is involved in film production and digital content.
China
In the first 20 years of communist rule in China (1947 to 1966), the government tried to stop traditional advertising, seeing it as a capitalist idea. The focus was on production, not consumption. However, propaganda was a highly developed art for the Communist Party. So, advertising that did exist focused on the collective good rather than individual benefits.
Since 1980, as China's private economy grew, advertising has also grown dramatically. It helped promote the "Four Modernizations" emphasized by Deng Xiaoping. While old ideals are still mentioned, they don't stop the growth of consumerism.
Since China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2002, its advertising industry has changed a lot. It's now the world's fastest-growing advertising market. Big changes include shifting cultural values, the importance of brand names, the appeal of English names to younger generations, new ideas about what's acceptable in ads, and the rapid growth of new media like the Internet and smartphones. Chinese advertising is moving heavily to smartphones, with social media sites like Weixin (WeChat) and Sina Weibo playing central roles.
India
Many parts of Indian culture and industry have British roots, so British advertising models often work well. In 1991, the Indian government opened its economy to international business. A growing middle class attracted many international companies and advertisers.
Advertising in India often works on two levels. Ads for expensive products appear in English-language newspapers, targeting wealthier Indians and Europeans. Ads for less expensive products are usually in local language papers, aimed at a lower middle class. The working class and rural populations are less often targeted by big advertising agencies. Cricket stars are popular endorsers in national advertising because cricket is a very successful sport in India.
Sometimes, cultural norms can be accidentally broken. In 2002, a television ad campaign for a fairness cream by Hindustan Lever Ltd. (a subsidiary of Unilever) caused widespread protests. The ad was criticized for promoting discrimination based on skin color and gender. It showed a father wishing for a son, then his dark-skinned daughter becoming successful after using the cream and becoming light-skinned. The All India Women's Democratic Association (AIDWA) complained, saying the ad strengthened gender discrimination and linked fair skin with beauty. The government's Ministry of Information and Broadcast agreed, stating the ad violated rules against portraying any race, caste, color, or nationality negatively, and against showing women in passive or secondary roles. The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) also found the ad offensive, and it was stopped.
Developing World
During the time of decolonization (from the late 1940s to the 1970s), British and French advertising firms in Africa and Asia learned to adapt to the new spirit of independence. They started targeting the emerging middle class and changed their ads to show locals as successful people developing their nations. These positive images helped businesses operate during times of political change.
Brazil is the largest country in Latin America and a major advertising market. Its economy grew quickly in the 21st century. In 2010, it was the world's sixth-biggest advertising market.
Mexico
The start of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994 had a big impact on Mexico's advertising industry. A flood of American brand-name products expanded the industry, and Mexican agencies faced new competition from international firms.
A key factor in the Mexican market was that wealthier consumers often preferred imported American brands over local Mexican ones. So, American products and their advertising agencies focused mainly on the middle-class market in big cities like Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara, where most American imports were bought. Advertising battles in Mexico sometimes involved not just product quality, but also questions of national identity.
See also
- American business history
- History of broadcasting
- History of advertising in Britain
- History of public relations
- Marketing
Agencies
- American Association of Advertising Agencies
- FCB (advertising agency), Foote, Cone & Belding
- Interpublic
- Omnicom
- BBDO
- DDB Worldwide
- TBWA Worldwide
- Publicis, Leading international agency based in Paris
- Leo Burnett Worldwide
- WPP
- Ogilvy
- Taylor Nelson Sofres
- Young & Rubicam
- J Walter Thompson
Personalities
- P. T. Barnum
- Bill Bernbach
- Leo Burnett
- Fairfax M. Cone
- Claude C. Hopkins
- Allan Johnston
- Albert Lasker
- Mary Wells Lawrence
- Alan Morris
- David Ogilvy
- George Patterson
- Charles Saatchi
- Maurice Saatchi
- J. Walter Thompson
