-
2000 BCE
Criers
Criers are people who were hired to proclaim the virtues of a product. -
1500 BCE
Fire - Phoenicians
An advertising claim used by Phoenecian sailors to notify the masses of their arrival in order to sell more goods -
1200 BCE
Papyri
The first known advertising text, "Shem", was found in ancient Egypt on papyrus. Key Element: Papyrus was used to make sales messages and wall posters. -
500 BCE
Kerux, Axon, Kyrbo
A common mode of advertising, about the
same time, was the public crier or kerux
(official spokesman, selected for his loud or
penetrating voice). Axon is a cubic block of stone or wood painted white on which laws or policy statements are written. Kyrbo had the same purpose. this is a cylindrical shape with an axis. -
100
Praeco, Album, Graffiti, Signa - Rome
Advertising methods in ancient Rome included criers, wall posters, graffiti, and signs. Key Element: Announcement boards, graffiti, and public criers were used for advertisements. -
220
Woodblock painting (textiles/paper) (before 220 AC) – China
Woodblock printing is a technique for printing
text, images or patterns that was used widely
throughout East Asia. Originated in China in
antiquity as a method of printing on textiles
and later on paper. -
Period: 500 to 1300
• Newsmen, peddlers, charlatans, public crier (horn) - Medieval advertising
The peddlers (street vendors), charlatans or
puppeteers were, however, the chief medium of
intercommunication in the Middle Ages. Once more, the public crier became the only
medium for obtaining publicity. Still called praeco,
as among the Romans. The medieval crier used to carry a horn, attracted
people’s attention at the moment of a
proclamation or publication. -
868
1st printed book 868 (9th century) - Diamond Sutra
The Diamond Sutra is known as the first printed book, a significant milestone for the distribution of information. Printing technology was advanced, paving the way for mass communication. -
1300
Wooden/metal signs guild – craftmens (street names) – late Middle Ages
Medieval guilds appeared (associations of
craftsmen or merchants), they have a
considerable power).
Started strictly regulating the development of
handcrafts.
Workshops were grouped by streets * in the
end of the streets they hung wooden or metal
signs with the symbol of the guild
Ended up giving the street its name: painters,
cutlers (Cuchillería), barbers, etc. -
1400
Woodcut (xylography) – 15th century
Woodcutting, also known as Xylography, was used as a printmaking and text illustration technique, including for advertising. Woodcut prints became a common method of print advertising. -
1447
Printing press (15th century-1447) J. Gutenberg
Johannes Gutenberg reinvented letterpress printing, revolutionizing the dissemination of information. The printing press had originally been invented eight centuries earlier by the Chinese, but the Chinese model that Marco Polo brought to Europe failed to catch on with the Europeans. The printing press revolutionized advertising by making it possible to reach large audiences. -
La Gazette
To disseminate this information more widely,
Renaudot (Richelieu helped him) established
the first weekly newspaper in Fance, La
Gazette. This novel idea of paid classified ads helped establish the economic model of newspapers selling advertising space, which remains fundamental to the industry today. -
Period: to
Industrial Revolution (1790 – 1820/40) – hand production à machines – commercialism
The First Industrial Revolution marked the transition from hand production methods to machines, including the growth of the factory system. Mass production led to the need for mass marketing. -
Illustrated Magazines Advertising
She showed exceptional talent as a writer, so Curtis decided to sell the small farming
magazine and keep only the page for women. In 1883 the husband and wife team
launched Ladies’ Home Journal, a national magazine whose motto was (and still is)
“Never underestimate the power of a woman”. -
Period: to
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau (“new art”) appeared
in a wide variety of fields
throughout Europe and beyond:
decorative and graphic arts,
architecture, glassware,
furniture, pottery,
jewlry, metalwork, textile -
War Advertising
With the outbreak of the First World War, advertising was used to attract volunteers.
In four years, from 1914 to 1918, million of posters were distributed in countries that
took part in the conflict. -
Period: to
Expansion of Advertising
This marked significant expansion and transformation in the advertising industry, influenced by social, economic, and technological changes. The expansion of advertising from 1920-1945 demonstrated the adaptability and resilience of the industry, embracing new mediums like radio and evolving strategies to respond to social, economic, and technological shifts. -
Period: to
Art Deco
Art Deco style revels in its Industrial Revolution roots through oversized furnishings made of metal featuring pointed edges, arched tops, mirrored finishes and jagged corners, serving as a contrast to Art Nouveau -
Birth of Radio Advertising
New auditory medium for advertisers, revolutionizing the industry by allowing them to reach millions of consumers directly in the comfort of their own homes -
Birth of Scientific Advertising
Scientific advertising applies systematic testing, measurement, and analysis to make advertising more effective. Involves thorough market research, testing ads on small audiences, careful tracking of results, and fact-based appeal, marking a shift from subjective, hyperbolic advertising claims. It revolutionized the industry by emphasizing data-driven strategies, systematic testing, and fact-based appeals, making advertising more effective and reliable. -
Illustrated Magazines
In 1928 in France, Lucien Vogel created and directed Vu, a weekly pictorial magazine,
which was published from 1928 to 1940 .It ran for just over 600 issues. Vu was the
first large weekly to magazine to feature photographs in essay form, and as such was
an important precursor to the magazine format of photojournalism. -
Wheaties Sponsorship
General Mills, which produced Wheaties (the “Breakfast of Champions”), sponsored
one of the most popular radio serials of the 1930s, “Jack Armstrong, the All-American
Boy”. This radio adventure series maintained its popularity from 1933 to 1951. -
Key Opinion Leaders
Television also offered advertisers a great opportunity to have celebrities or Key
Opinion Leaders (KOL) who endorsed products on the air. Entertainers who
projected honesty and sincerity were the most requested. -
Television Advertising
By the 1940s, people were crowding in front of department store windows
and in neighborhood taverns to watch the first demonstration television sets. Introducing a visual and auditory medium that allowed advertisers to deliver more immersive and compelling messages, significantly expanding their reach and impact. -
Period: to
Creative Revolution of Advertising
The Creative Revolution was a paradigm shift in advertising that emphasized creativity, concept and an emphasis on prosperity. Bill Bernbach, the co-founder of the Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB) agency, was a key figure in this movement. -
A Diamond is Forever
N.W. Ayer & Son created the "A Diamond is Forever" campaign for De Beers, which became one of the most iconic advertising slogans of the 20th century. The rise of iconic advertising slogans that deeply influence consumer behavior. -
Ogilvy and Mather Agency
David Ogilvy founded Ogilvy & Mather, which would become one of the world's largest advertising agencies -
Anacin TV Advertisement
One of the most famous ads of the 50s was for Anacin, an aspirin that positioned itself as
powerful pain medicine. The dominant Anacin Campaign began in the 1940 on radio. Anacin’s
radio spots proclaimed that the substance was “… like a doctor’s prescription. Not just one but
a combination of several medically active ingredients”. When the ads jumped into visual media
with the television ads of the mid-1950s, they showed how a real nasty headache disappears
with Anacin. -
Political Advertising
The starting point was the presidential election of 1952, when Reeves produced a
series of television spots for the Republican candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower.
In 1952, there was no precedent in presidential elections for the use of television
"spot" advertising. -
ROSSER REEVES (Unique Selling Proposition)
First, of course, it is the Unique Selling Proposal (USP). We see 3 dishes of powdered analgesic
being sucked back into the package. This stuff does have added ingredients! We can see them
being added. Who cares if the added ingredient is caffeine (wisely not mentioned as the secret
ingredient); the point is that it has more than the other pain relievers plus the pain reliever most
recommended by doctors, namely, aspirin! -
Think Small Ad Campaign
Created by the Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB) agency, the "Think Small" campaign for Volkswagen became one of the most influential advertising campaigns. -
Madison Avenue
Madison Avenue symbolized the US advertising industry.
On Madison Avenue were offices of Young & Rubicam, McCann-Erickson, J. Walter Thomson, DDB, and many more -
Creative Revolution
The creative revolution started by these three men who set a standard for advertising that still stands in the 21st century:
- Bill Bernbach
- David Ogilby
- Leo Brunet -
Saatchi Saga
It was only a matter of time before the creative revolution made it across the Atlantic, and what happened in NY led to the golden age of British advertising. In the late 1960s, they created Cramer Saatchi and, soon, they started working on public health advertising. Maurice Saatchi took over Cramer's place in 1970. -
80s Extravagance
The 1980s are often regarded as the golden age of TV advertising. For a long while TV ads were little more than moving print ads, so TV advertising didn’t really get into its stride until the 1980s. -
1984 Mac Ad
The "1984 Super Bowl Ad" campaign broke the mold of traditional advertising. At a time when Super Bowl commercials were often lighthearted and humorous, Apple dared to be different. The ad, directed by Ridley Scott, presented a dystopian world where conformity reigned supreme and an individual dared to break free. -
90s Shock Advertising
Shock advertising or Shockvertising is a type of advertising that "deliberately, rather than
inadvertently, startles and offends its audience by violating norms for social values and
personal ideals". -
Digital Age advertising
The turn of the millennia caused was coupled with the birth of the internet and thus digital advertisements. These are ads that popped up on websites, applications etc. reaching thousands of people daily, possibly more.