‘Advertising’ is a particularly evocative word. In our modern society we are constantly bombarded by companies’ attempts to sell us their brand. On TV and radio, the Internet and mobile phones, even at the cinema and on the back of toilet doors – we are constantly encouraged to “buy this” or “try that”. Advertisements can be covert, such as subtle product placement in films or blatant, all singing, all dancing affairs which crowd the commercial breaks.  From the highest paid marketing executives, to the humblest SEO copywriters, advertising is a broad business.

We remember some adverts fondly: a familiar jingle can transport us back to our childhoods; particularly amusing adverts attract their own cult following. Alternatively there are some adverts that send us scurrying to turn the channel or radio station. Businesses invest a lot of time and effort in securing their brand and making themselves standout from the crowd. In the modern digital era with increasingly savvy consumers, marketing executives are always on the lookout for new ways to sell their product to the masses.

Did you ever stop to wonder where advertising first originated? They are probably much older than you think. It would seem that for as long as people have been selling goods, they have had good sense to tell people about what they are selling and why they are much better than the opposition.

Ancient Advertising: What the Romans did for us

Believe it or not the Ancient Egyptians created papyrus signs and steel carvings to advertise their goods in 2000 BCE. We know that the Romans advertised gladiatorial games by pasting posters onto the walls and evidence of such adverts have been found in Pompeii and Carthage. Forms of non-printed media are known to have existed for a long time. Advertisements for traditional medicines exist from feudal Japan. In Medieval Europe, street callers or town criers would advertise the locations of local markets and the produce available. A trip to any open-air market today will show you that very little has changed in the last 1000 years. As the majority of the population were unable to read in the medieval period, businesses began to create signs painted with the symbols of their trade such as an anvil for a blacksmith or a shoe for a cobbler.

The Printing Press: The Coming of the Classified Advertisement 

Unsurprisingly, the invention of the printing press by Johannes Guttenberg in 1450 was followed by an explosion in the production of printed advertisements. In 1631 in the French newspaper La Gazetta the first classified advertisements were published. The real question is: why did it take them so long to catch on? In 1841 in Philadelphia the first advertisement agency was established and 50 years later, direct marketing was first used when Sears sent out 8,000 postcards to potential customers. 

Soap and Bubbles: The Dawn of Modern Advertising

During the 1890s in London Thomas J. Barratt became famous for his innovative advertising of soap and for this reason often referred to as the “father of modern advertising.” He created both the idea of a brand image and the importance of emphasizing the availability of the product to the consumer. He was also perhaps the first person to understand the importance of monitoring the market for changes in taste.

Radio and TV Advertising

With the arrival of the radio in the 1920s, businesses were quick to utilize its marketing potential. The very first radio advertisement was made in 1922. Sponsorship for individual programmes soon caught on, with a mention of the sponsor included at the beginning and end of every broadcast. The very first TV advertisement ever broadcast was an illegal commercial for a fur company in New York, which earned the broadcaster a hefty fine. These inauspicious beginnings obviously did little to slow the oncoming tide of television commercials.

21st Century Advertising: the Internet

Currently an estimated $500 billion is spent on advertising worldwide, per year. The Internet is a relative newcomer to the many forms of media available to advertisers. Online advertising began in 1994 when the first banner ads were introduced. Since then it has gone from strength to strength and no company can afford to neglect the wealth of advertising potential it offers.

It’s important for businesses to ensure that their advertising remains fresh and appealing to the increasingly media savvy public. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is a valuable tool in ensuring that your company’s website can be found on the internet when a prospective customer is searching for the services you offer. Businesses are increasingly turning to SEO copywriters to ensure that they are visible on the Internet.