Ads

From ancient Roman wall paintings to Apple's "1984" Super Bowl commercial, advertising has evolved dramatically over millennia.

With iconic campaigns like "Got Milk?", Volkswagen's "Think Small", and Coca-Cola's "Share a Coke" building out a remarkable timeline in recent history.

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PRE-1950S

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Spanning from the late 19th to mid-20th century, marked the birth of modern advertising and marketing techniques.

It saw the rise of innovative distribution methods like mail-order catalogs, the power of memorable slogans, celebrity endorsements, branded design, and emotive wartime propaganda.

• 1875: Montgomery Ward releases the first mail-order catalog
• 1888: Kodak launches with the slogan "You press the button, we do the rest"
• 1904: Fatty Arbuckle becomes one of the first celebrities to endorse a product (Murad cigarettes)
• 1920s: "Say it with flowers" campaign for Florists' Telegraph Delivery (FTD)
• 1928: Walt Disney creates the first animated advertisement with sound for Opeko Coffee
• 1935: Penguin Books introduces its iconic color-coded book design
• 1942: "Rosie the Riveter" appears in Westinghouse Electric ads
• 1947: DeBeers launches "A Diamond is Forever" campaign

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1950S - 1970S

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This was the golden age of advertising, characterized by iconic campaigns that tapped into cultural shifts and mass media's growing influence.

Memorable characters, catchy slogans, and groundbreaking creative approaches emerged.

• 1955: Marlboro Man debuts
• 1958: "Have a Break, Have a KitKat" slogan introduced
• 1959: The seductive "Flake Girl" cadbury ad campaign begins
• 1962: "Think Small" VW Beetle campaign launches
• 1968: "You've Come a Long Way, Baby" Virginia Slims campaign
• 1971: "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" commercial airs
• 1973: Smash Martians campaign begins
• 1974: "Heineken refreshes the parts other beers cannot reach"; Skittles first ad‍
• 1979: "Where's the Beef?" Wendy's campaign begins

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1980S - 1990S

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This era marked a period of bold, innovative advertising that leveraged the power of television and emerging pop culture to create unforgettable campaigns.

• 1983: Apple's "1984" Super Bowl commercial
• 1984: Levi's "Laundrette" ad
• 1985: Coca-Cola's "New Coke" campaign (and subsequent return to Classic Coke)
• 1988: Nike's "Just Do It" slogan introduced; Butterfinger ad launches a with the Simpsons
• 1988: Reese's introduces it ad "No wrong way to eat Reese's"

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• 1989: Energizer Bunny debuts
• 1993: "Got Milk?" campaign launches
• 1995: Budweiser Frogs commercial
• 1997: Taco Bell Chihuahua debuts
• 1999: Budweiser "Whassup?" commercials air

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2000S - PRESENT

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Our ad era has been characterized by the rise of digital media, social platforms, and a shift towards purpose-driven marketing.

• 2002: BMW's "The Hire" short film series
• 2006: Old Spice "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" campaign
• 2009: Compare the Meerkat campaign begins
• 2010: Old Spice "The Man Your Man Could Smell Like" goes viral
• 2012: "Sorry, I was eating a Milky Way" ad by Milky Way

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• 2013: Dove "Real Beauty Sketches" campaign
• 2014: Always "#LikeAGirl" campaign
• 2015: John Lewis "Man on the Moon" Christmas ad
• 2017: Spotify's "Thanks 2016, It's Been Weird" data-driven campaign
• 2019: Gillette "The Best Men Can Be" ad
• 2020: Match.com "Match Made in Hell" featuring Satan and 2020 as a couple