Hilbert College

 Annotated Bibliography:

The History of Advertising

- Home - Students - Tutorials - Student Papers -

Advertising Timeline. (1999) The American Advertising Museum 14 October. Online: http://www.admuseum.org/museum/timeline/timeline.htm

This interactive timeline chronicles high points in the development of advertising. It begins with paid announcements in newspapers as early as 1704 and goes up through the aggressive ad campaigns for Apple computers. The timeline focuses on revolutionary or particularly effective individual ad campaigns throughout history.

Brands, H.W. (1999) Coca-Cola Goes to War. American History. August.

Brands discusses Coca-Cola's ad campaigns under president Robert Woodruff. He employed such practices as emphasizing the company's security precautions to protect the secret formula of Coke in order to give the impression that consumers were receiving something of great value for a small price. These and more conventional tactics were so successful in integrating Coke into American life that soldiers during World War II allocated limited space to Coke instead of beer on supply vehicles.

Cohen, Dorothy. (1972) Advertising. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

This book includes many essays about advertising, one which is entitled "The History of Advertising." In this essay, the author briefly covers all of advertisingÕs history from the ancient past, to the present; or, more specifically, the present at that time it was a written. The essay describes advertisingÕs ancient roots as mere scratches on walls in the times 3000 years before Christ. It then moves on to elaborate upon the most significant development in the early history of advertising, the printing press, which then led to the appearance of ads in newspapers. The final aspect of advertising discussed in this essay is television, which brought advertising to new levels.

Cohen, Stanley E. (1999) Protecting Consumers. Advertising Age. March 29.

In this article Cohen tracks government regulation of advertising beginning with John F. Kennedy's initial proposals such as requiring manufacturers to have data supporting performance claims for their products. He chronicles the conflicts that arose with manufacturers and ad industry associations, ending with an eventual compromise involving self-regulation of the industry under the Nixon administration.

Dreyfuss, Robert. (1999) Big Tobacco Rides East. Online: http://www.motherjones.com /

Dreyfuss discusses how restrictions on cigarette companies have prompted them to concentrate their promotional efforts in Asia. He emphasizes how the companies try to push not only their product but also the brand, essentially "selling America". Even though they are aware that some consumers cannot afford the higher priced cigarettes, they can create a widespread desire for them by associating the product with the more affluent American culture. So attractive is the concept of the American lifestyle as embodied by a cigarette that Vietnam has the highest percentage of adult smokers.

Ebenkamp, Becky. (1998) A Briefs History. Brandweek. November 23.

The author details the alternative advertising approach of underwear manufacturer Joe Boxer. Eschewing most print advertising, the company has received large amounts of media attention and coverage by staging publicity events for a comparatively low cost. Examples include launching a pair of boxers in a rocket to set the highest "unmanned underwear launch" record..

Fones-Wolf, Elizabeth. (1999) Creating a Favorable Business Climate. Business History Review.

This article deals with the emergence of radio broadcasting as a tool for corporations to promote their products in the 1940's-1950's. Such a tool was needed after the setbacks businesses suffered during the Great Depression. Fones-Wolf details such tactics as corporate-sponsored radio shows for advertising and public relations purposes..

Fullerton, Ronald A. (1998) A Prophet of Modern Advertising: Germany's Karl Knies. Journal of Advertising.

The article discusses the predictions about advertising of German economist Karl Knies and their surprising accuracy. He foresaw the importance of such vital areas of market research as consumer psychology, media analysis, and target audience selection. Although his contemporaries ignored his work, it came to have great influence in German advertising. Nonetheless Knies was never widely recognized in the American advertising world. .

Goodrum, Charles and Helen Dalrymple. (1990) Advertising In America. Harry N. Abrams, Inc.

This book discusses the history of the first 200 years of advertising in America. It begins in 1789, the year of the founding of the republic, when American advertising truly began. It moves on to examine how advertising worked in the years between then and the Civil War, during the war, and then, after. It then looks at the years up until the turn of the century, which was a turning point for advertising. The book focuses mainly on the 20th century, the effects both world wars had on advertising, and it even studies specific products of the times.

History 101. (1999) The Antique Advertising Association of America. 14 October Online: http://www.antiqueadvertising.com/history.html/

This site describes advertising artifacts, mainly from country stores in rural America. Although it also deals with the current interest in these items, it also explains how different artifacts from the same company correspond to various phases in their advertising campaigns. The focus is on the development of Lucky Strikes cigarettes advertising and packaging, detailing the promotions through World War II and to the present. For example, during the war the company publicized the fact that the color of packs was being changed from green to white in order to conserve green pigment for the war effort.

Laird, Pamela Walker. (1998) Advertising Progress. The Johns Hopkins University Press.

This book is mainly about American businesses and the rise of consumer marketing. It begins by discussing the marketing problems America faced as it industrialized and the advertising methods used during that period. It continues on to describe modern advertising and the severe competition and control among businesses. Finally, it depicts the steps needed to take advertising to modernity, to its next level of success..

Lears, Jackson. (1994) Fables of Abundance. Basic Books.

This novel is a cultural history of advertising in America. The basis of this book is that since America is such a diverse country, the advertising tactics that are present in our society should be just as diverse. The author describes the different advertising methods used by different cultures in America, and their effects on the rest of the society.

McDonough, John. (1998) Pepsi Turns 100. Advertising Age. 20 July.

This article deals with the Pepsi company and how the brand has been shaped by its advertising. Emphasized are the company's competition with Coke and the advertising tactics used to draw consumers, such as pricing, packaging, and slogans. This commercial rivalry is important to consider because it has existent for over a century and the tactics have developed with the rise of the advertising industry and changing consumer preferences. .

Norris, James D. (1990) Advertising and the Transformation of American Society. Greenwood Press.

This book describes how advertising changed and shaped America from 1865 to 1920. It uses specific examples of products that were popular during those 55 years. The book describes how each of these products had a major effect not only on the history and development of advertising, but also the country itself.

Perlongo, Bob. (1985) Early American Advertising. Art Direction Book Company.

This book is a compilation of advertisemnts from 1799 to 1924. The author created this book in order to capture the essence of original advertising. He admits that it advertising did begin in Babylon, with barkers shouting in the streets and rough scratches marking walls to give a message. But he feels that advertising truly began when the written word was used to sell things. And this book shows numerous examples of the ad and the ad symbol blossoming together to forever change the American way of life.

Presbrey, Frank. (1929) The History and Development of Advertising. Country Life Press.

This book discusses how advertising is one of the worldÕs most powerful means for the growth of manufacture, trade, and industry. It describes how advertising has been a major factor in the construction of prosperity and how its development has kept pace with the growth of intelligence. Throughout history, advertising has led to the expansion of trade and the spread of enterprise, not only in America but across the world. The author states that "a nation is just as enterprising and prosperous as is its advertising."

Rothberg, Randall.. (1999) The Advertising Century. Advertising Age 29 March.

Rothberg tracks the development of advertising from the late 1800's, chronicling such milestones as the introduction of sex into ad campaigns by Woodbury Facial Soap and celebrity endorsements. He also discusses the emergence of the importance placed on brand names and the advertisements promoting them. .

Sampson, Henry. History of Advertising. Ballantyne and Company.

This book discusses the earliest history of advertising. It begins in the ancient times, where advertisements were transferred on papyrus. It also describes advertisingÕs roots in ancient Greece, where advertisements were mentioned in Greek mythological stories. It also discusses advertising in the medieval times, when the only medium of communication was the town peddler because everyone was illiterate and any written form of communication would have been futile.

Turner, E.S. (1953). The Shocking History of Advertising. E.P. Dutton and Company.

This book is a study of commercial advertising in newspapers, magazines, and on billboards. It does not deal with the typical history of advertising, but rather explores more uncommon types of advertising. It also compares the advertising methods of America and Great Britain. Although Britain can claim to have taught America the basics of advertising, it has been America has been the one to set the standards for the past century.

Starr, Tama and Edward Hayman. (1998) Signs and Wonders. Doubleday

This book studies the use of signs in outdoor advertising. It begins with the very first signs, which originated during the Upper Paleolithic period some 40,000 years ago, and they were merely markings drawn on the walls of the caves of those who dwelt there. It continues throughout the course of advertising, to the fluorescent, blinking, three dimensional signs that we see on a daily basis today.