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Earliest form of verbal advertising. Town criers shouted out product offerings like carpets and spices in busy streets.
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Fire became a sing of advertising.
When they arrived with new goods they lit up a fire. -
Fire as an early advertising medium. It meant they had arrived with new goods.
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First known written commercial about a runaway slave and promotion of his shop. -
Kerux: Official crier for announcements (commercial and political). Axon Kyrbo: Wooden or stone columns used for public messages. -
Advertising became visual:
- Praeco: Town crier.
- Album: Painted white boards with text (ads, events).
- Graffiti: Painted public announcements.
- Signa: Shop symbols (e.g. goat = milk shop). -
Graphic duplication of messages begins, first on textile, later on paper. OLDEST PRINTES BOOK: "Diamond Sutra" -
Advertising became performative. Main characters: newsmen, peddlers, charlatans, public criers with horns.
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Advertising became visual:
Praeco: Town crier. Album: Painted white boards with text (ads, events). Graffiti: Painted public announcements. Signa: Shop symbols (e.g. goat = milk shop). -
Visual branding began. These were wooden or metal signs to identify shops.
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Johannes Gutenberg. Mass production of ads begins. -
Technique combining image and text in printed materials. -
It was complicated due to censorship
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Birth of commercialism and brand differentiation. More competence = need to stand out
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Pioneer of modern advertising techniques. -
Unregulated ads promoted miracle cures, often addictive or harmful. -
Beginning of the professional ad industry: 1864: J. Walter Thompson (USA) – sold space in women’s magazines. 1869: N.W. Ayer Son – first full-service ad agency.
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Advertising becomes visually artistic, with curving lines, floral patterns, and idealized women. -
Consumers begin asking for brands, not just products. Branding is the added value that consumers trust. New brands appearing: Levi's Campbell's Soup... -
Rise of the professionalization of the industry:
1904: Associated Advertising Clubs of America (AACA) 1912: Advertising Women of New York (AWNY) 1917: American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA) -
Pioneered women-focused advertising and editorial ad style. She created the first sensual ad. -
Advertising takes on nationalistic and emotional duties (appeals to emotions to get volunteers). -
Start to sell identity, status... not only goods. Researchers and psychologists join agencies.
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Women become central targets of ads and product design.
Incorporated in work and consumption.
Buyed for the symbolic value. -
Advertisers talk directly into people's homes.
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Became more popular and respected, thanks to documentary photography and large photo magazines -
Advertising became modern, eye-catching, and product-centered. This was the golden age of the poster as an advertising art form. -
Guided by Claude Hopkins: Based on testing, research, and consumer psychology. -
Slogan by Claude Hopkins at Lord Thomas Agency. Example of preemptive claim, precursor to USP: claimed a unique process, though all tobacco was toasted -
Coupons and A/B testing begin. Advertising becomes measurable. -
First legal TV commercial: 1941, for Bulova watches. Brands start to sponsor full programs. -
Rooser Reeves emphasized one unique claim, repeated relentlessly.
“MM’s melt in your mouth, not in your hand.” -
The importance of storytelling and innovation. Madison Avenue is where major campaigns come from and where the biggest companies are at. -
Big budgets for advertising campaigns where emotion, wit, irony, and minimalism took importance. Important campaigns like "Think Small" marked a turning point. -
First used more widely by Benetton, under art director Oliviero Toscani, with provocative campaigns. The tactic spread to public service ads. The goal of shock advertising is to grab attention by breaking taboos and provoking strong emotional reactions -
Rise of email marketing and corporate websites. First banner ad ever by ATT. Creation of search engines changed the process of creation of ads and how they were measured.
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SEO (Search Engine Optimization) becomes vital for visibility.
Brands begin using blogs and content marketing.
Ad budgets shift heavily toward measurable, digital platforms. -
Beginning of microtargeting and personalization of ads thanks to platforms (new places for advertising and its measuring).
Influencer marketing start to rise. -
Use of AI and machine learning for predictive targeting.
Surge short-form video (e.g. Reels, TikToks) and native ads.
Advertisements must be ethical and companies must take care of their communication.