History of Advertising: How We Evolved from Printing Press to AI Marketing

Tal Yeger
May 21st, 2025
10 Minutes Read Time
History of Advertising: How We Evolved from Printing Press to AI Marketing

The Evolution of Advertising: From Print to AI

Connecting brands to customers is what advertising has always done, using creative and persuasive methods. Initially, advertising was just newspaper ads; it has grown into exciting activities using artificial intelligence. In this piece, we’ll examine the history of advertising and how far it has advanced to where it is now.

A Quick Look at the History of Advertising

The history of advertising appeared in ancient societies, when merchants used messages posted on papyrus or shouted by town criers to announce what they had for sale. When communities advanced, advertising did as well. 

In the 15th century, advertising milestones were first made possible by the invention of the printing press, which produced flyers and newspapers in larger numbers. Over the years, printing was the prime way for businesses to get their advertisements out by using published works and billboards.


Comparing Traditional to Digital Advertising: A Significant Change

Advertising during the 20th century grew more attractive and interactive because of radio and television. Companies started using stories, catchy music, and memorable phrases to connect with the public. But truly, it was the Internet that brought about a major revolution.

As we moved into the early 2000s, the conflict between traditional vs digital advertising became more intense. Traditional advertising remained appealing and honest, but Google Ads, Facebook ads, and YouTube gave marketers the ability to reach a chosen audience, track instant results, and fix strategies as needed. Because of this shift, advertisers now have more opportunities for data-based, lower-cost, and two-way ads.


Events in Advertising That Made a Difference

Modern advertising has gone through many important stages during its history. This industry was restarted and reshaped by the following milestones in advertising:

  • 1836: An ad was placed in La Presse (France), making it the first paid advertising in a newspaper and starting the practice of earning money from ads.
  • 1922: People in New York City heard the first advertisement aired over the radio.
  • 1941: A television commercial for Bulova watches appears for the first time in the U.S., and it only cost $9.
  • 1994: Clickable web banner ads were introduced and made online advertising possible.
  • 2006: A new way of using Facebook for business advertisements is introduced.
  • 2016: AI and machine learning have started to shape how ads are targeted, personalized, and how campaigns are run.

How AI Has Shaped Advertising in the Modern Age?

The emergence of AI stands out as the single most important advancement in recent advertising history. Artificial Intelligence now plays a bigger role in how marketers create, deliver, and improve their ads, not only in predicting results. Many aspects of marketing today, like chatbots, voice assistants, ad buying, and content creation, depend on AI.

With the help of AI, advertisements relevant to the user are served almost immediately, and this greatly improves user interaction and performance. Using dynamic creative optimization, ads are automatically customized for various groups in the audience, saving time and making it easier to earn a higher ROI.


AI Trends Bringing About a New Kind of Future

The fast development of technology has brought new AI trends that are changing the way ads are done.

  1. AI helps companies change the experience for each user by understanding their past actions and likes.
  2. Because of smart speakers, marketers are making sure their ads work well for people who use voice search.
  3. With AI, businesses are able to forecast the needs of customers ahead of their recognition.
  4. With A/B testing and altering bid strategies, AI can now automate boring jobs for advertisers.
  5. AI can create ad ideas, select photos or visuals, and design an entire campaign for your business.

With these trends, we are moving into a period where ads can adapt quickly to what customers and the market require. Moreover, in today’s fast world, you need both instinct and effective technology to be ahead. ADGPT helps you with all this. ADGPT makes all your advertising tasks, such as running social media ads, preparing display ads, and looking at customer trends, faster with AI. With ADGPT, marketing teams can write ads that work, get real-time feedback, and save time.

If you’re ready to prepare your campaigns for the future and achieve remarkable outcomes, look no further than ADGPT.


What Changes Can We Expect in Advertising?

Now the question is, what is the future of advertising? Today, advertising is more linked, individualized, and smart than it has ever been. As people expect more from their shopping experiences, brands should begin using augmented reality, blockchain, and artificial intelligence to tell their stories.

Ethics and sustainability will be more important to consider. As more people worry about privacy and false information, advertisers are urged to focus on transparency and trust.

Besides, the mix of e-commerce and social networks (such as Instagram Shops and TikTok Shopping) suggests that the line between content and commerce will become harder to tell in the future. The marketers who respond to changes fastest will do well.


Final Words

Throughout the history of advertising, innovation has played a key role. Every period of advertising has introduced different problems and many more opportunities. Advertising has shifted from basic messages to experiences that express important content to specific audiences. One fact is clear as we look into the future: the internet isn’t slowing its progress.

Thanks to ADGPT and similar tools, businesses can now achieve more from their advertising by creating campaigns that work, are significant, and scalable. If you’re already a professional in the marketing field or just entering it, sign up today and step into the future! 


Question & Answers

A: Advertising evolved from ancient merchant announcements to today's AI campaigns, transforming through print (15th century), paid newspaper ads (1836), broadcast media, and finally digital marketing.

A: Kotler's 5 A's—Awareness, Appeal, Ask, Act, and Advocacy—track the customer journey from initial discovery through purchase to becoming brand supporters.

A: The 4 C's—Customer, Cost, Convenience, and Communication—reframe marketing from the consumer's perspective, replacing the traditional product-focused 4 P's approach.


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Tal Yeger

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Tal Yeger, a seasoned leader in advertising with over two decades of experience, has shaped creative strategies at the world's leading agencies. His expertise in brand storytelling and campaign development is reflected in his track record of award-winning work.

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