History of Advertising

The first TV commercial aired 77 years ago

It was July 1, 1941. The Brooklyn Dodgers were facing off against the Philadelphia Phillies at Ebbets Field in New York. Before the first pitch was broadcast on NBC-owned WNBT (now WNBC), the first true TV commercial aired in the US.
It was a short, simple spot for Bulova Watch Co. It focused on a watch as the second hand ticked, and a voiceover told viewers what time it was, according to Ad Age. It cost the company just $9: $4 in air charges and $5 in station charges, the publication reported.
Later iterations of the Bulova campaign looked like this:

The original advertisement kicked off an industry that has grown to generate tens of billions of dollars a year over the last 75 years. These days, national TV commercials cost around $8,000 on average, while an ad during the biggest TV showcase of the year—the Super Bowl—costs around $5 million for 30 seconds.

https://qz.com/721431/watch-the-first-tv-commercial-which-aired-75-years-ago-today/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Art Telling Stories

Image
William Frederick Yeames - And When Did You Last See Your Father? This painting of a fictional event from the English Civil War (1642 - 1646) is perhaps the most popular work in the Walker Art Gallery. It shows a Royalist house under occupation by Parliamentarians. The young boy is being interrogated as to the whereabouts of the master of the house. Behind him, a soldier gently holds the boy's crying sister. To the left can be seen the children's mother, her fear and anxiety at the boy's possible answer written in her face. To the Victorians, children were often seen as ideals of truth and honesty. The suspense in this work comes from the dilemma the boy now finds himself in: to tell the truth and possibly endanger his father, or lie and maybe save him. Yeames was inspired to paint this scene by the innocent and candid nature of his nephew who lived with him. The boy also acted as a model for the painting. via  http://www.liverpoolmuseums....
Read more