A Brief History of Print Media Advertising

With how ubiquitous online advertising has become, it's easy to forget about the classic print media advertising in Kansas City.

In one way or another, print advertising has been around since the 15th century. But it's really only been within the last 100 years that print advertising - as we know it - was created.

Print advertising both mirrors and helps shape culture around d the world. When the needs of society change, then print media changes to accommodate it. Let's see how print advertising has evolved throughout the 20th century.

The 1910s

Copy heavy ads were the norm in the 1910s, and the seeds of modern ads were planted. Famous images such as Uncle Sam and the "I Want You" ad for the United States army were created, and are still often seen today.

The 1920s

Now we start to see a new technique in print advertising emerge with the use of negative space. This helped to make the ads appear less "busy" than in previous years and images continued to play a bigger role.

The 1930s

Not much changed for advertising in the 1930s. The stock market crash of 1929 and the resulting Great Depression brought the economy to a halt. For the most part, it continued to follow the style of the 1920s, and the lack of advances in print technology was a direct reflection of the economic hardships.

The 1940s

This is when print advertising really began to embrace images and slogans. Written copy became reduced, and some ads even left out written copy altogether. Negative space also got used more frequently.

The 1950s

The 1950s introduced a better balance between images, and words were struck. Advertisers began to experiment with a new layout of putting imagery at the top and copy at the bottom. This technique is still widely practiced today.

The 1960s

The 1960s and 1970s brought the Creative Revolution was in full swing. Advertisements like Volkswagen's "Think Small" were among the first ads used. These ads also relied on big ideas to get a message across. Advertisers finally began to realize the importance of the headline. They put more effort into striking a balance between the headline and the body copy. Modern advertisers today try to achieve the same kind of balance.

The 1970s

The Creative Revolution continued, and images became brighter. Headlines and body copy also became bigger.

The 1980s

Ads in the 1980s reached levels of simplicity unseen in previous decades. Copy became more minimalistic, and marketers began focusing more on female consumers.

The 1990s

Stylistic simplicity continued to prevail in the 1990s. This decade brought about some of the most famous and recognizable ads of all time, including Nike's 'just do it' and the California Milk Processor Board's 'Got Milk?'

The 2000s

As we enter the 21st century, minimalism and simplicity were more abundant than ever. Images took precedence and often relied on digital manipulation. The copy was kept very limited or absent entirely.

The 2010s

Now, as we enter the current decade, minimalism is the order of the day, with higher resolution images becoming even more important. Enhancing strong elements with contrast, using surreal images, and employing both positive and negative spaces are other common trends in print advertising today.

Conclusion

Print advertising has evolved a lot over the last 100 years. The balance between copy and design has shifted throughout the decades.