Advertising is attracting attention to a product, service, or event by means of a public announcement of some kind. The advertiser often promises an extra benefit if you buy the product, such as money savings or improved social status. You might be told, for example, that if you chew Elite Gum, you'll not only enjoy the taste, but you'll also be one of a group of more stylish and elegant people.
Archaeologists have discovered examples of very early advertising in the ruins of ancient Babylonia, the site of modern-day Iraq. It was typically “outdoor” advertising—signs over doorways or on the sides of buildings. These signs called attention to rooms for rent or places where people could buy something to eat.
During the Middle Ages, town criers walked through villages making public announcements on behalf of the government. Sometimes local merchants hired them to tell people about things for sale. Street vendors themselves often shouted out news of the wares they had to sell.
When Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, advertising found a new medium. Printed posters and flyers soon appeared. In 1472, the first printed advertisement appeared in English offering a prayer book for sale.
Professional advertising began in the United States in Philadelphia in 1841 with the opening of the first advertising agency. Agencies bought large amounts of space in newspapers at discount rates and then re-sold that space to their clients. Initially, the clients wrote their own ads. Later, agencies hired writers and artists to make the ads for the clients—for a fee. Today's ad agencies work much the same way.
As other new media appeared on the scene, it wasn't long before advertisements found a place in them. Radio and then television became popular ways to sell products with commercials designed to take advantage of what these media had to offer. Today, the Internet has become the fastest growing advertising medium. Pop-up ads, e-mails, and sponsored sites are all used to sell products.
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For this WebQuest, your job is to investigate the development of advertising using different media. To demonstrate what you have learned, you will answer the questions included here. You will also complete one of the activities described at the end of this WebQuest.
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Read through the following questions. Then research the Internet resources that are provided for you. As you explore the sites, look for answers to the questions. Keep a record of any sites where you find answers by noting the title and URL (Internet address). For example:
(title) Technology Student Association
(URL) www.tsaweb.org
- The earliest known advertisement dates back to what time period?
- When did advertisements first appear in newspapers in the American colonies?
- Who opened the first advertising agency in the United States?
- In what year was the first radio commercial broadcast?
- Around 1950, in which media did most advertising appear?
- What percentage of the U.S. population owned TV sets in 1950?
- Advertisements for Burma Shave are a good example of the effective use of humor to sell products. Which type of advertising media do they use?
- Today, the benefit promised to car buyers is often the latest technological improvement. Beginning around 1923, what benefit to the customer did automobile advertising focus on?
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Visit the Web sites listed here to find information that will enable you to answer the questions. You may use additional sites if you wish. Be sure to keep a record of any sites you use.
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Two activities are described below. Complete one of these activities (your choice) to demonstrate the understandings you've gained by going on this WebQuest.
- Find an example of an advertisement on the Web site shown below. Then, using the site's timeline, write a paragraph analyzing the ad in terms of events that were happening in the world at that time. For example, an ad created during the Korean War might show a picture of a soldier. Print a copy of the ad you've chosen and attach it to your paragraph.
http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/adaccess/browse.html
- Create a public service message about something you consider important, such as encouraging people to keep the school grounds free of litter. Produce two versions of your message using two different media. For example, you might choose to create a printed poster or to tape a radio commercial. You may use the same words or images both times, but you should be sure to make use of the unique advantages each medium offers. For example, a poster would almost always have illustrations, and a radio commercial might have sound effects.
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