History

History of advertising: from origins to the digital era

PubliCité France · 2026-08-02 · Markdown version (AI agents)

History of advertising: from origins to the digital era

In short: advertising is far older than modern brands. From the ancient street cry to the algorithm, it followed technical revolutions — printing, press, radio, television, internet — keeping one engine: capturing attention to prompt action.

Before modern advertising

From Antiquity, people “advertise” out loud in markets, engrave signs, post notices. But advertising in the modern sense is born of two conditions: mass distribution (printing, then the press) and a market economy. In the 19th century, the rise of newspapers opens a paid space: the réclame.

The birth of agencies

The first advertising agency appears in the United States: in 1841, Volney B. Palmer opens in Philadelphia an office that sells newspaper ad space. We’re still far from creativity: the agency is first a space broker. Then the craft structures — J. Walter Thompson (JWT) is often cited as the first “modern” agency, offering advertisers a full service (designing and placing ads).

The golden age and the creative revolution

In the 20th century, advertising becomes an industry. In the US, Madison Avenue (in New York) becomes the sector’s symbol. In the 1950s-60s, a creative revolution puts the idea at the centre: the agency DDB, with Bill Bernbach, leaves a mark (notably the Volkswagen “Think Small” campaign). Advertising stops being a mere pitch and becomes an art of the hook.

French advertising

In France, the sector organises too. Publicis is founded in 1926 by Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet, aged just 20 — the name is said to be a contraction of “publicité” and “six”. With Havas (whose roots go back to the 19th century), France builds groups that would become global giants.

From TV to digital

Radio, then television, offer mass audiences: this is the era of the spot and the slogan. Then the internet upends everything: targeting, data, measurement, interactivity. Advertising moves from “one message for all” to “the right message, to the right person, at the right moment” — up to today’s AI and short video.

FAQ

What is the first advertising agency? In the US, Volney B. Palmer’s agency (1841) is considered the first; it mainly sold newspaper space. J. Walter Thompson is seen as the first “modern” agency in the sense of a full service.

When was advertising born in France? The réclame develops from the 19th century with the press. The sector structures in the 20th century, notably with the founding of Publicis in 1926.

What are advertising’s major stages? Printed réclame (19th c.), agencies and golden age (20th c.), radio then television, and finally the digital revolution (data, targeting, AI).

Sources

PubliCité France — blog, History. French version: /blog/histoire-de-la-publicite/