HISTORY98 - Advertising
Recently, Pat and I were discussing the invasive nature of advertising today - everything from junk mail to pop-up ads on our cell phones - and realized that researching and writing about the history of advertising might be enlightening. In my last blog, about the history of human communication, I identified advertising as one of the platforms for communication, so I thought that an article on advertising would fit nicely. First, let me define a couple of terms: Advertising is the techniques and practices used to bring products, services, opinions, or causes to public notice. Most advertising promotes something for sale, but similar methods are used to encourage people to drive safely, to support various charities, or to vote for political candidates, among many other examples. A commercial is a specific type of advertising used for the sake of selling. I will start with a discussion of premodern advertising, from early civilizations to the inven...