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AdvertisingAdvertising is a global industry centered around the paid promotion of products or services. It’s also a significant contributor to US GDP, with some estimates claiming it indirectly powers roughly 20% of US annual economic output. The average American is exposed to roughly 5,000 ad impressions per day.
Early advertisements date back to ancient Egyptian papyrus scrolls from about 5,000 years ago. Historically, marketers have run ads on the popular channels and platforms of their era. For instance, marketers began running TV ads in 1941, not long after household televisions became available.
From local newspapers to social media apps, advertisements are a major reason certain forms of media are free or inexpensive. However, the industry often employs psychological tactics designed to create a desire for products, leading to scrutiny over manipulative techniques.
As of 2025, roughly two-thirds of all US ad spend went to just five platforms: Google, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft, and TikTok. In recent years, the advertising industry—which is made up of a complex ecosystem of ad agencies, platforms, and other companies—has faced challenges surrounding data privacy, consumer trust, and the impact of artificial intelligence on creativity.Explore Advertising
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Apple’s '1984' ad aired once during the game and permanently shaped their advertisingDuring Super Bowl XVIII, Apple aired its dystopian “1984” commercial once to a mass audience, introducing the Macintosh and positioning Apple as a challenger to IBM’s dominance in personal computing. Diggit MagazineBillboard began as an advertising industry magazineThe magazine was initially “devoted to the interests of advertisers, poster printers, bill posters, advertising agents & secretaries of fairs.” While it occasionally tracked music via sheet music, record, and jukebox sales through the 1930s, it added its first true top 10 singles chart in 1940. BillboardThe 1960s through 1980s are generally considered the ‘Golden Age of Advertising’This time period spawned some of history’s most well-known ad campaigns, from "I Heart NY" to Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign. In this video from the 4As (the American Association of Advertising Agencies), advertising executive Jerry Della Femina reflects on the most creative ads of the era. The 4AsAdvertising holding company WPP acquired Ogilvy & Mather in 1989 for $864MIt was the largest amount ever paid for an agency at the time. WPP, which acquired agency J. Walter Thompson for $566M just two years before the Ogilvy & Mather acquisition, still owns Ogilvy today. The DrumDavid Ogilvy’s brother helped get him into the advertising businessOgilvy sent a copy of his stove sales manual, "The Theory and Practice of Selling the AGA Cooker" (which Fortune magazine later called "probably the best sales manual ever written”) to his brother, who was working at London ad agency Mather & Crowther at the time. Encyclopedia Britannica‘The consumer isn't a moron, she's your wife’ is among David Ogilvy’s most memorable pieces of advertising adviceSome of David Ogilvy’s maxims include, “talent, I believe, is most likely to be found among nonconformists, dissenters, and rebels” and “never write an advertisement which you wouldn’t want your own family to read.” The Business QuotesAI is transforming the marketing and advertising industriesMany marketers argue that AI is useful in an ad agency setting. Others attribute the significant layoffs the industry has faced in recent years, at least in part, to AI. Agency leaders and big tech firms alike have supported experimenting with artificial intelligence’s capacity to create content once reserved for agency creatives. The GuardianThe difference between marketing and advertising: Advertising is technically a type of marketingWhile the terms are often used interchangeably, technically speaking, marketing is any effort to promote a product or service. Advertising, on the other hand, is any paid effort to promote a product or service. Learn more about the difference in this article. US Chamber of CommerceA 1973 ad is credited with accelerating the Super Bowl advertising crazeThe Super Bowl’s history as an advertising phenomenon began in earnest during the 1970s. In 1973, for instance, Joe Namath and Farrah Fawcett starred in Noxzema’s “Cream Your Face” ad, which Smithsonian Magazine says helped establish the game “as an event for advertisers.” Read this article to learn more about how the Super Bowl became advertising’s, well, Super Bowl. Marketing BrewAdvertising-related activity may have supported roughly one in five American jobs as of 2024That’s according to a study commissioned by The Advertising Coalition, conducted by S&P Global Market Intelligence, which also found that the advertising industry powered more than 20% of total US economic output at the time. Yahoo FinanceExplore a website dedicated to reviewing books about the advertising industry“The Agency Review” reviews any book that touches advertising—from straight business books by the likes of David Ogilvy to a book about the history of bourbon. It has reviewed more than 200 books since the site started in 2012. The Agency ReviewThe 1960s through 1980s is generally considered the ‘Golden Age of Advertising’This time period spawned some of history’s most well-known ad campaigns, from "I Heart NY" to Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign. In this video from the 4As (the American Association of Advertising Agencies), advertising executive Jerry Della Femina reflects on the most creative ads of the era. YouTubeAdvertising powerhouse Mary Wells Lawrence was the first female CEO of a public company listed on the NYSEThe TV show “Mad Men’s” character Peggy Olson is inspired by Wells Lawrence, who founded ad agency Wells Rich Greene in 1966. Wells Lawrence is also known for her famous Alka-Seltzer campaign slogan, “plop plop fizz fizz.” YouTube‘Ogilvy on Advertising’ is David Ogilvy’s career memoir full of his favorite copywriting adviceOgilvy is one of the most famous and influential advertising executives in history, known for his focus on research-driven advertising. But he also wrote multiple books, including “Ogilvy on Advertising,” which the Founders podcast dives into in this episode. SpotifyTencent's revenue streams include fintech, advertising, games, and socialHeadquartered in China’s Shenzhen tech hub, Tencent currently generates revenue through services like WeChat, WeBank, and Tencent Games. Each of these services (and their associated sectors) made up roughly a third of Tencent’s 2024 annual revenue. TencentAR advertising: how it works and the best campaignsMore brands are investing their marketing budgets into Augmented Reality Advertising (AR) - find out why AR Marketing continues to grow. Engine CreativeThe NFL is so successful because it is perfectly suited for televisionThe predictable weekly cadence of football games ritualizes the experience of watching together, and their relative scarcity makes every game meaningful. With the stop-and-go play of the sport, there are predictable, repeating stoppages to allow broadcasters to sell lots of advertising inventory. The league sits in the sweet spot compared to MLB (many games) and NBA and soccer (continuous play with fewer ads). This Acquired episode distills fascinating insights into the NFL's business and history. AcquiredNew Orleans' Mardi Gras celebration is driven by autonomous 'krewes'A city ordinance prohibits commercial advertising, and the parade has no central coordinator. Instead, its many activities are organized by individual "krewes"—private clubs of dues-paying members who construct and ride the parades' many colorful floats. The spelling is a faux Old English form of the word "crew," taken from the Mistick Krewe of Comus, who used the stylized language ironically. How Stuff WorksSony's existing videotape production led to cylinder-shaped batteriesAfter a prototype cell was presented to executives in 1987, Sony repurposed its roll-to-roll manufacturing equipment for film to make lithium-ion batteries from rolled sheets of metal and electrolytes. The company popularized the term "lithium-ion" when including it in its Handycam advertising in 1991. IEEE SpectrumSee a ranking of the most iconic Super Bowl advertisements ever airedThe list highlights ads that reshaped Super Bowl advertising, including Snickers' Betty White spot, Budweiser's endlessly quoted "Whassup," and Wendy's "Where's the beef," showing how commercials became as memorable as the game itself. CBS SportsHear how the Super Bowl went from a risky experiment to America’s unofficial holidayIn this podcast episode, former Emmy award-winning ESPN producer Dennis Deninger traces the Super Bowl’s unlikely rise from the AFL-NFL merger era to a national spectacle, explaining how it reshaped advertising, gambling, television, and American culture. Good Seats Still AvailableNike’s slogan was inspired by a death row inmate’s last wordsAdvertising superstar Dan Wieden of legendary advertising agency Widen+Kennedy said he got inspiration for Nike’s “Just do it” from an inmate’s last words on death row. Wieden said the way the inmate talked about facing uncertainty inspired him. NPRGeorge Washington’s birthday was a federal holiday until it was moved to the third Monday in February in 1968Washington’s February 22 birthday became a federal holiday in 1879. A 1968 law moved it to the third Monday in February, and decades of advertising popularized the unofficial name “Presidents’ Day,” which the federal government never formally adopted. George Washington's Mount VernonWarren Buffett once referred to David Ogilvy as a geniusBuffett also owned stock in Ogilvy & Mather, David Ogilvy’s advertising agency. This podcast episode dives into an overview of one of Ogilvy’s best-selling books, “Confessions of an Advertising Man,” which he wrote in part to grow his agency business. SpotifyOgilvy & Mather rebranded to just ‘Ogilvy’ in 2018This was far from the first brand evolution the agency itself has gone through in its more than century-long history. The agency now known as “Ogilvy” started as a London advertising agency founded in 1850 by Edmund Mather. By 1964, it became known as Ogilvy & Mather after merging with a New York City agency that was founded in 1948 by David Ogilvy. Marketing DiveScroll through a 75-year timeline of Ogilvy’s iconic adsFrom the brilliant Rolls-Royce slogan that David Ogilvy wrote himself (“at 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock”) to Dove’s early 2000s campaign for Real Beauty, these 75 ads are among the best in advertising agency Ogilvy’s history. OgilvyDove’s ‘Real Beauty’ campaign sparked conversations about beauty standards in mediaFor the 20-year anniversary of the campaign in 2024, Dove conducted a brand-commissioned study to gauge how perceptions of beauty standards have shifted since its launch. While 81% of US women thought “the media and advertising set an unrealistic standard of beauty that most women can’t ever achieve” in 2004, the share had shrunk to 69% in 2024. Watch the ad here. Ad AgeThe dead internet theory suggests that mostly bots are interacting onlineThe dead internet theory proposes that bots create most online content. These bots are believed to create social media posts to boost engagement and increase advertising revenue. However, the accounts doing the liking and commenting are also believed to be bots. The theory suggests governments use bots to manipulate public opinion. Live ScienceThe ‘three-martini lunch’ was popularized on Madison AvenueAdvertising executives working on Madison Avenue in the 1960s and ’70s popularized the so-called “three-martini lunch” between businesspeople during the work week. Admen of the time supposedly believed alcohol brought more creativity to the second half of their workday. This article explains why three-martini lunches are no longer commonplace. The TakeoutJane Maas was one of the first prominent female ad executives on Madison AvenueJane Maas started as a copywriter at the advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather in 1964. She’s known for working on the famous "I Heart NY" tourism campaign alongside artist Milton Glaser. This interview provides a glimpse into what life was like for women like her on Madison Avenue. YouTubeThe Madison Avenue Walk of FameIn Hollywood, the most prominent celebrities get “stars” on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Now, industry events producer Advertising Week has created a virtual walk of fame for the biggest stars of the ad world, from the Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Bear to the Energizer Bunny. Advertising WeekA boom hit after WWI, with consumerism usurping frugality as an American valueWhen American soldiers returned home after WWI in the 1920s, they found a country ready to spend money, make a home, and indulge in creature comforts after wartime rationing. This uptick in US wealth and production led to job opportunities for advertising experts. The MIT Press ReaderAn ad agency is a firm that a company contracts to assist with marketing effortsWhile some corporations have marketers and advertisers as full-time employees, others contract advertising agencies to get the work done. Ad agencies typically have a variety of departments depending on their specialty, but they often include account executives to help manage client relationships and a creative department to produce the ads. EmarketerThe Rolling Stones were paid $3M to have ‘Start Me Up’ in the Windows 95 promoThe fee was part of Microsoft’s $300M advertising and promotional campaign for the operating system, which featured the Start button for the first time. The company also filmed sitcom-style infomercials featuring "Friends" TV stars Jennifer Aniston and Matthew Perry. The Pop History DigThe first nationally broadcast soap was ‘Clara, Lu, ‘n Em’The show first aired in Chicago in 1930, but was then picked up by NBC and broadcast across the country in 1931. The show followed three women who lived in the same duplex. Listen to a 1934 episode below, including the preshow’s soap-centric advertising. Randy's Old Time Radio ShowsRoughly 350,000 billboards advertise across the USThe world's oldest form of advertising can feel antiquated in a digital age, but the place-specific signs are the basis of a $9B business. Learn the history of these ads and how they remain relevant in a digital age. Economics of Everyday ThingsWilliam Eggleston was one of the first non-commercial photographers working in colorWhen he began exhibiting his work in the '70s, most color photography was limited to advertising. Eggleston's "democratic" stills of working-class Americana were filled weith vibrant color and would go on to influence generations of photographers and filmmakers. Getty MuseumHBO is known for its adventurous original seriesThe premium network is known for groundbreaking shows like “The Sopranos,” “Sex and the City,” “The Wire,” “Game of Thrones,” Succession,” and more. Unlike traditional broadcast television, HBO shows were not bound by strict time limits, advertising, or FCC regulations, allowing for more creative freedom. It's Been a MinuteSome of Hollywood's biggest blockbusters were designed by Drew StruzanThe artist is responsible for iconic posters advertising "Indiana Jones," "Hook," "The Goonies," and more. His distinctive style—sometimes painted by hand, sometimes drawn with an airbrush—defined the era of the family-friendly family blockbuster. Art of the MoviesIn defense of the advertisement economyAdvertising is frequently reviled for how it clutters up public spaces and our everyday experiences. Nonetheless, it allows for vast amounts of goods and services to be rendered free to millions of users—and gives users the option to pay with money or time and attention. The DiffThe best advertisements of all timeThis list includes the spots (like Nike’s “Just Do It” campaign and Snickers’ Betty White cameo) that transcended advertising and became genuine pop culture sensations. American Marketing AssociationHow Tencent became one of the world's most valuable social network firmsWith 1.4 billion users on WeChat, Tencent passed Facebook in 2018 in terms of market capitalization ($580B as of May 2025). However, while Facebook relies almost entirely (98%) on advertising for revenue, Tencent's growth relies on diverse revenue streams from video games, e-commerce, and more. The ConversationHear how gladiator fights were funded, judged, and sometimes fixedIn a wide-ranging interview, Professor Michael Carter unpacks the business of gladiatorial games—from advertising and fighter merch to referees, match rules, and a code of conduct that often pushed gladiators to spare defeated opponents. ToldinstoneTikTok is changing the building tradesPlumbers, welders, and general contractors are meeting their customers on TikTok. This article delves into the growing group of tradespeople documenting their work (and advertising their services) on the popular app. The profiled workers are convinced this is the new way to sustain a life in the trades. DwellAs of 2025, Meta Platforms Inc. is the largest social media company in the worldFacebook alone has nearly three billion monthly active users, with advertising across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp generating 97% of Meta's revenue. Messenger adds more than 650,000 users a daily. Investing.comIn 1984, Apple ran an award-winning Super Bowl commercialDirected by Ridley Scott and a winner at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, the clip features a heroine flinging a sledgehammer at a Big Brother-style figure delivering a speech. As the screen shatters, a voiceover proclaims that Apple's release of the Macintosh will ensure, "1984 won’t be like ‘1984.’” Bloomberg OriginalsTargeted ads accounted for 80% of Google's parent company's total revenue in 2020Ads in Google Search, YouTube, and other products brought in $147B for Alphabet, with ad click costs ranging from $7 to several hundred dollars. YouTube’s ad revenue alone jumped 49% year-over-year in one quarter. CNBC'Take Me Out to the Ballgame' was inspired by a billboardIf you’ve ever been to a baseball game, you’ve likely sung "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." The song was written in 1908 by Jack Norworth, a Tin Pan Alley musician inspired by a billboard advertising a game at the Polo Grounds in New York. The Vintage ComposerThe famous image of Che Guevara was captured by accidentAlberto Korda wasn’t aiming for Che Guevara when he snapped one of the most reproduced photos in history. This longread traces how that fleeting moment became a global icon—later commodified across pop culture, fashion, and advertising. Smithsonian MagazineMany journalists are shying away from sharing mug shots when reporting crimeNews outlets used to cover crime with mug shots of the accused. Some outlets even published mug shot photo galleries, collections of easily acquired content that drove clicks and, hopefully, advertising dollars. However, this practice has fallen out of favor as journalists question the lasting impact of immortalizing mug shots of accused perpetrators, at least some of whom are ultimately cleared of the alleged crime. Poynter & The Marshall Project
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