History Of Advertising

History of Advertising

This Essay is for People that are in VCE up to Elderly People

Advertising is dated back to the Christian Era. One of the first known methods

of advertising was outdoor signs, they would be painted on the wall of a

building and were usually very eye catching. Archaeologists have found signs in

the ruins of ancient Rome and Pompeii which advertised travelers to go to a

tavern situated in another town. In about the 1440’s there was an invention of a

movable-type of advertising which was a printing press. In the 16th century some

companies had a trade mark which was a two or three dimensional picture or sign.

In both volume and technique, advertising has made its greatest advances in the

U.S. In the early stages of U.S. advertising it was hard and expensive to

advertise nationally because the U.S. was still undeveloped and there was little

of no means of transport, distribution or communication. Eventually certain type

of manufactures thought of the idea of bypassing wholesalers, retailers and

using catalogs. Mail orders and pamphlets appeared around the 1870’s. Late in

the 19th century many American firms began to market packaged goods under brand

names. Previously consumers had not been aware of or influenced by brand names.

The first product that had brand names were soap products. In the 1880’s a few

brands came out and they were Ivory, Pears, Sapolio, Colgate, Kirks American

Family and Packer’s. Not long after brands such as Royal baking powder, Quaker

oats, Bakers chocolate, Hire’s root beer, Regal shoes and Waterman’s pens were

nationally advertised. In the early 1900’s America began to become aware of such

brand names like Bon Ami, Wrigley and Coca-Cola. After World War 1 advertising

developed into a business so big that it was almost a trademark of America

itself through the eyes of the rest of the world. This was expanded by technical

improvements which made transportation, communication and graphics work easier,

cheaper and better.

The invention of electricity led to the illuminated outdoor poster,

photoengraving and other modern printing inventions helped both editorial and

advertising departments of printed journals. In the 1920’s the radio was

invented and this developed a whole new technique of selling, by voice. During

World War 2 the American advertising industry founded the war advertising

council this used modern advertising to strengthen the American war effort. The

organization still continued after the war was over as ?The Advertising Council’

this was used to function for the publics interest. Printed and broadcasted

media contributed millions of dollars worth of advertising time and space to

such projects each year. The most significant Advertising development after the

war was Television. Television forced the advertising industry to use better

techniques of selling because they had to use visual and voice. Since VCR’s have

been invented Advertisers have been under threat because some viewers edit out

the commercials when recording the program or they fast forward them.

In all advertising has advanced a lot in the past and I believe that it will

keep on getting more and more advanced with the needs of society.

Bibliography

Encarta ?96 Encyclopedia