History Of Advertising

Advertising can be described as any form of communication that is intended to persuade its viewers, listeners or readers into taking some action. It uses different types of media, such as newspapers, radio, magazines, television, billboards and direct mail, to deliver messages. Out-of-home advertising and billboards are the oldest forms of advertising and are believed to date back to 4000 BC. The rise of mass production in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries gave way to the development of modern advertising. To know more interesting and amazing information on the origin and background of advertising, read through the following lines.

 

Interesting & Amazing Information On Origin & Background Of Advertising 

Anciently, Egyptians made sales messages and wall posters using papyrus (these displays and messages can well be seen in the ruins of Pompeii and ancient Arabia also). Wall or rock painting was another common commercial advertising form, which is still present in parts of Asia, Africa and South America. Gradually, as towns and cities began to expand, traders started using images to associate their trade, such as a boot, a suit, a hat, a clock, a diamond, a horseshoe, a candle or even a bag of flour.
 

With time, education became an apparent need and advertising developed to printing handbills. By the 17^th century, advertisements started appearing in weekly newspapers in England that were mainly used for promoting books. Consequently, printing press advanced and newspapers became increasingly affordable. However, false advertising and quack advertisements created problems in the regulation of advertising content.
 

Advertising grew with the expansion of economy in the 19^th century. Mail-order advertising grew with the success of advertising in the United States. In 1836, French newspaper La Presse became the first newspaper to include paid advertising in its edition. It also reduced its prices to extend readability and increase profitability. Around 1840, advertising agencies were established and services extended. Initially, they were brokers for advertisement space in newspapers. In 1869, the first full-service agency named N.W. Ayer & Son was opened, assuming responsibility for advertising content in Philadelphia.

 

In early 1920s, radio equipment manufacturers and retailers established radio stations to sell more radios to consumers. Soon, the practice of sponsoring radio programs popularized and they started allocating sponsorship rights to multiple businesses instead of single businesses. The same practice was later carried on to the television in late 1940s and early 1950s. Advertising transformed into a modern approach in 1960s, with creatively produced advertisements tempting consumer’s eyes. This could well be seen in the Volkswagen ad campaign that featured headlines like “Think Small” and “Lemon”.

 

The era of modern advertising saw promotion of “position” and “unique selling proposition” that was designed to associate every brand with a specific idea in the reader or viewer’s mind. Cable television was introduced in late 1980s and early 1990s, giving further boost to advertising. Steadily, specialty channels emerged that were devoted entirely towards advertising such as QVC, Home Shopping Network and ShopTV Canada. With the boom of Internet in the 1990s, new frontiers opened for advertisers. A number of corporations came up, operating solely on advertising revenue.

 

The entry of 21^st century saw various sites, including the much-used search engine Google, indulging in online advertising, with the intention of helping the users. The recent advertising innovation is “guerrilla advertising” that makes use of unusual approaches, such as staged encounters in public places, giveaway of products such as cars covered with brand messages, and interactive advertising where viewers can respond to become part of the advertising messages. Advertising has come a long way from its inception and there is much progress to be covered in the time to come.