Commercial Art 1
History of Advertising
To answer the following questions, first read your Advertising History, A Brief History of
Advertising, and Advertising Milestones handouts, then look to your personal insight for answers,
and then finally check the internet.
Some information may be found from these sources:
Advertising Age has an advertising history timeline – A 295-year synopsis of the most important
events in American Advertising, 1704 to 1999.
adage.com/century/timeline/index.html
Trivia Library has an excellent collections of snippets from advertising history.
www.trivia-library.com/history-of-advertising/index.htm
History of Graphic Design has some interesting topics, especially on the origins of advertising.
designhistory.org/advertising_fall_08.html
1) What was the first known method of advertising?
Outdoor displays (signs) (source: Advertising History)
2) Who were town criers? Who employed them?
Citizens who read public notices aloud – they were hired by merchants as “walking billboard”
Now radio/tv announcers (source: Advertising History)
3) In the 1600s, advertising was a thriving business in what European country?
England (source: Timeline)
4) Why did many early merchants use symbols and designs as their form of advertising?
Most people couldn’t read (sources: Trivia Library and common sense)
5) What was the first item ever to be advertised in print?
A prayer book – 1472 (sources: Advertising History, Timeline)
6) What were the first two newspaper ads for?
1704 – Boston News-Letter – Estate for sale in Boston (source: Timeline)
1622 – first newspaper in England, The Weekly Newes – An ad for the return of a stolen horse
(sources: Trivia-Library, Advertising History)
7) What was the first regularly published newspaper in the American colonies?
Boston News-Letter (source: Advertising History)
8) In what year did advertising begin in the early colonies?
1700s (source: Timeline)
9) How did Benjamin Franklin make ads more readable?
Used large headlines (source: Advertising History)
10) In 1784, 80% of all advertising in the American colonies covered which three things?
Land, slavery, transportation (source: Timeline)
11) How many newspapers existed in the American Colonies between 1784 and the early 1800s?
43 (source: Timeline)
12) During early years in history (up until the 1800s), what did merchants use to advertise their
trade or goods?
Signs that were usually found on the walls (source: Advertising History)
13) Who were the first two advertising agents responsible for the beginning of the advertising
industry?
1843 – Palmer & Hooper (source: Timeline)
14) What did early advertising agents buy?
Large amounts of advertising space, which they then resold to other advertisers for a higher price
(sources: Advertising History, History of Graphic Design)
15) The Palmer Advertising Agency was later sold to whom in 1869?
Francis Ayer – N.W. Ayer & Son (sources: Advertising History, Timeline)
16) How did he change the role of advertising agencies?
Advertisers were billed exactly what the ad cost, PLUS an agreed upon commission – open
contract
Open contract guaranteed clients the lowest possible rates the agency could negotiate
Commission was later added... eventually became 15% – now an industry standard
(source for above: History of Graphic Design)
He also wrote advertising copy and did market research (source: Advertising History)
17) How did early ad agents charged for their services?
Resold space at a higher rate, thus earning a profit – commission (source: Advertising History)
18) What contributions did early advertising agents make for newspapers?
Added name recognition to newspapers – got them out in the public eye
Increased the number of readers
Set advertising rates (source: personal insight)
19) What slogan was launched in 1898? For whom? What is the company called today?
“Lest you forget, we say it yet, uneeda biscuit.”
National Biscuit Company
Nabisco
(source: Advertising Age timeline)
20) What was the “creative revolution” all about? When did it happen?
1950s-1960s
Ads began to create a product image
Advertising began to be creative and artistic – no longer just boring text
Product images were also introduced (source: Advertising History)
21) What was in place before the creative revolution?
Ads just presented the product benefit (source: Advertising History)
There was also some false advertising
22) What is considered the most successful advertising campaign... ever? WHY?
Volkswagen – the quintessential campaign of the 1950-60s Creative Revolution
“Think Small,” “Lemon,” and other self-deprecating headlines presented the Beetle in an offbeat
manner
Had honest and explanatory body copy
(Think small in terms of price and the efficiency of a non-gas guzzler)
(source: History of Graphic Design)
23) What do YOU think about it the most successful advertising campaign? Explain your answer.
(Answers vary)