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The First Advertisement
In 1704, the very first advertisement, an advertisement for Oyster Bay, Long Island (real estate), was published by the Boston News-Letter. -
Franklin's Gazette
Benjamin Franklin publishes the first issue of The Pennysylvania Gazette in Philadelphia, which included pages of "New Advertisments." -
Franklin's General Magazine
Benjamin Franklin's General Magazine prints the first American magazine ads. -
Philadelphia
The Pennsylvania Packet & Daily Advertiser, America's first successful daily newspaper, starts in Philadelphia. -
"Penny newspaper"
Benjamin Day publishes the Sun, the first successful "penny newspaper" in New York. -
Billboard
Billboard ads became a popular roadside sight during this year. -
Palmer's Agency
Volney Palmer opens the first advertising agency in Philadelphia. -
Advertising Agents
The first convention of advertising agents is held in New York. -
Department stores join advertising
Department store founder John Wanamaker is the first retailer to hire a full-time advertising copywriter, John E. Powers. -
Ladies are apart of this, too
Cyrus H.K. Curtis launches Ladies' Home Journal with his wife, Louisa Knapp Curtis, as editor -
Association
The American Newspaper Publishers Association is formed. -
Coca-Cola
Asa Briggs Chandler registers Coca-Cola as a trademark. -
Uneeda
N.W. Ayer helps National Biscuit Co. launch the first prepackaged biscuit, Uneeda, with the slogan "Lest you forget, we say it yet, Uneeda Biscuit." Eventually, the company launches the first million-dollar advertising campaign for Uneeda. -
"Chicken-noodle possibilities"
Campbell Soup Co. makes its first advertising buy. -
Clubs of America
The Associated Advertising Clubs of America, a group of agencies, advertisers and media representatives, is formed. -
Kellogg
W.K. Kellogg places his first ads for Corn Flakes in six midwestern newspapers. By 1915, he is spending $1 million on national advertising. -
Association
A group of large agencies forms the Association of New York Agents, predecessor to the American Association of Advertising Agencies. -
Woodbury Soap
Woodbury Soap breaks its "The skin you love to touch" campaign in the Ladies' Home Journal, marking the first time sex appeal is used in advertising. -
Act
The Federal Trade Commission Act is passed, and Joseph E. Davies is named the first FTC chairman. Section 5 allows it to issue cease-and-desist orders against dishonest advertising. -
Association
The American Association of Advertising Agencies, the first agency trade association, is established with 111 charter-member agencies. -
Radio
KDKA, Pittsburgh, becomes the first radio station in the U.S. and is the first to broadcast the results of the 1920 presidential election. -
AT&T
AT&T's station WEAF in New York offers 10 minutes of radio time to anyone who would pay $100. The Queensboro Corp., a Long Island real estate firm, buys the first commercials in advertising history four: 15 spots at $50 apiece. Following the ads extolling Hawthorne Court, a new tenant-owned apartment complex in Jackson Heights, sales total thousands of dollars. -
"Every Hour"
National Carbon Co.'s "Eveready Hour" is the first regular series of broadcast entertainment and music to be sponsored by an advertiser. -
Chrysler Six
Theodore F. MacManus helps Walter Chrysler launch his new car, the Chrysler Six. -
Radio Corp. and AT&T
Radio Corporation of America buys New York radio station WEAF from AT&T and renames it WNBT. It forms the first radio network with 19 stations within the year, and the National Broadcasting Co. is launched. -
F.R.C.
The Federal Radio Commission is established. -
C.B.S.
Columbia Broadcasting System, a second major radio network, is launched. -
Stock Market Crash
Following the stock market crash, advertising spending plummets. From its high of $3.5 billion, it sinks to $1.5 billion by 1933. -
Tobacco
American Tobacco Company spends $12.3 million to advertise Lucky Strikes, the most any company has ever spent on single-product advertising. -
Radio takes the lead..
Radio surpasses magazines as a source of advertising revenue. -
T.V. time?
With 7,500 T.V. sets in New York City, NBC's WNBT begins telecasting July 1. The first T.V. spots, featuring a Bulova watch that ticks for 60 seconds, air as open- and close-time signals for the day's schedule. -
War time
The War Advertising Council is organized to help prepare voluntary advertising campaigns for wartime efforts. The council garners $350 million in free public service messages. After the war it is renamed the Advertising Council. -
CBS
CBS opens its Television City production facilities in Hollywood. -
CBS, again
CBS becomes the largest advertising medium in the world. -
Cigarettes
The Marlboro Man campaign debuts. -
Prerecorded commercials debut
Videotape recording makes prerecorded commercials possible -
Volkswagen
Doyle Dane Bernbach introduces the "creative team" approach of combining a copywriter with an art director to create its "Think small" campaign for Volkswagen -
Pepsi
"The Pepsi Generation" kicks off the cola wars -
NBC
NBC drops its ban on comparative advertising. ABC and CBS don't follow suit until 1972. -
Congress vs. Cigarettes
Congress prohibits broadcast advertising of cigarettes. -
Politics and advertisment
The Supreme Court grants advertising First Amendment protection. -
FTC
Congress removes the FTC's power to stop "unfair" advertising -
MTV changes things
MTV debuts with frenetic video images that change the nature of commercials -
USA Today
Gannett Co. launches USA Today. -
The Internet comes around
The Internet becomes a reality as 5 million users worldwide get online. -
Google Begins
Google initially began as a research project by two students at Standard University. This website initially ran under google.stanford.edu, but later became what is known today as google.com. -
Cigarette Issues
Cigarette makers and state attorneys general draft a $206 billion deal that curbs marketing and settles lawsuits to recover Medicaid costs -
Google
Google launched it's Beta phase. -
Internet ads
Internet advertising breaks the $2 billion mark and heads toward $3 billion as the industry, under prodding from Procter & Gamble, moves to standardize all facets of the industry. -
Google Internet ads
Google internet advertisments become popular for big businesses -
Google for the public
Google goes widespread for public use
