The history of advertising could be traced back to the first American newspaper ad in 1704, featured in the Boston News Letter. Until the 1800s, print promotions were limited only to text. Thereafter, the production of newspapers rapidly increased and became affordable and accessible to the working class. To keep people engaged, advertisers started to get innovative by adding visuals to their ads.
News LetterWith printing advancements and new technologies, the 20th century brought forward visually crowded ads that included pages detailed with elaborate information. From newspapers and magazines to billboards and transport machines, the 1900s started a whole movement of advertising.
Successful ads from the 20th century had to stand out from the others and possess a unique look in order to sell a product or service. To achieve this, it was common to include bright and striking colors with dramatic illustrations or comic book-style drawings.
Printed commercials also portrayed idealized scenes of people and families and incorporated relatable middle-class references. Cheesy taglines and slogans were also a very important part of advertisements, which made them powerful and long -lasting. Various eye-catching fonts were also a great way to make the promotional poster stand out. From brush strokes to the narration of tales, these ads were creative and ever so captivating.
At the time, there were few regulations for advertising, so promoters relied on their own judgments. That’s why some of these commodities that were advertised and considered normal back then would now raise eyebrows or even receive hardcore disapproval. Commercials that preceded the civil rights movement employed sexism and racism and were known to spread ill-advised information.
Let’s take an old 7Up slogan, "Why we have the youngest customers in the business..." that recommends mixing this product with baby's milk. A lot of people believed that soda had medicinal properties, so this brand started advertising their own product as essential to a baby's health.
When health concerns about cigarettes began in the 1930s, tobacco companies turned to doctors in order to diminish the worries about smoking. Thus, cigarette advertisements with physicians were born to add credibility. They typically featured statements like “More doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette” or “Doctors recommend Camels to their patients.”
Besides causing health concerns, vintage ads like “The Harder A Wife Works, The Cuter She Looks” and the inclusion of racial stereotypes and discrimination deeply promoted problematic social issues that wouldn’t fly in advertising today. Many similar commercials are banned in today’s world, and rightfully so.
Even though modern advertisements have come a long way, some old elements still work today, like having a spokesperson who is linked to the brand and attracts more customers.
Specifically, Ronald McDonald, Red and Yellow M&M's, and even Pillsbury Doughboy who become synonymous with their brands, proving this marketing tactic successful. Nowadays, influencers are the ones who promote businesses, and consumers love to hear what they have to say. Almost 50% of them search for videos before buying a product, and if a popular influencer is talking about it, this can increase profits.
Large and catchy slogans or headlines remain a great way to immediately draw people's attention. In 2009, boot company Timberland brought this back with the powerful headline “Walk the Talk”. The campaign demanded world leaders start putting their words into action to help stop climate change.
