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.