Advertising’s pervasive influence in modern life stems from a history that stretches back to ancient civilizations. Evidence suggests advertising existed in Babylonia, and it continued to evolve across numerous societies. In ancient Rome, outdoor advertisements announced properties for rent and locations where food and drink were available.
Town criers, often romanticized for spreading news, also played a role in early advertising. These traveling announcers promoted products, highlighting their positive qualities on behalf of the producers.
While property advertisements represented an early form of graphic advertising, the first printed advertisement appeared in England in 1472. Reflecting enduring human concerns, this advertisement promoted a prayer book.
The commercial potential of advertising gained significant traction in 1841 when a Philadelphia entrepreneur established the first advertising agency for hire in the United States. This marked the beginning of the modern advertising agency system. These agents, and later agencies, generated revenue by purchasing advertising space in newspapers and then creating and selling advertisements to businesses. In the late 1800s, a still-existing advertising agency introduced market research and data-driven copywriting, further shaping advertising into the sophisticated and recognizable industry we know today.