Most advertising in ancient times was word-of-mouth, that is, people liked something and told others about it. But even then, people advertised by putting inscriptions on walls or using papyrus, for example to display political slogans, to offer household goods for sale or to advertise things they had lost or found. Many traces of these advertisements have been found in Rome, Greece, in the ruins of Pompeii, in parts of Asia, Africa and South America.
Printing developed in the 15th and 16th centuries, and this increased the forms of advertising. Handbills – small printed notices and advertisements – became common, then, by the 17th century, advertisements started appearing in weekly newspapers in England, including classified adverts for personal goods and services. In the 19th century mail order catalogues appeared, promoting all kinds of goods.
Finally, the 1960s were a key period in the development of advertising. Advertisements became more creative and more interesting. Also, they began to draw attention to the ‘unique selling points’, the USPs of products. These are the qualities that make a product different from competitors’ products.
These days, advertisers have come up with new ways of promoting their products. For example, product placement is now common. This is advertising in TV programmes or films by having a character, preferably played by a famous actor, use a particular product. For example, Tom Cruise’s character in the movie, Minority Report, had a computer with the Nokia logo on it, and his watch was clearly made by Bulgari. James Bond movies are, in some respect, one long advert for vodka, watches and cars. Twenty companies will see their products in the new Bond film, having paid $70m (₤44m) for the privilege. 007 has changed his vodka brand and ditched his Rolex watch, and, after driving BMWs in his last three films, he is back behind the wheel of an Aston Martin.
TV commercials are a very effective medium for advertisers, though these are very expensive. If an organization wants to have a 30-second TV advert during the annual Superbowl game in the United States, they have to pay about 2.5 million.
Perhaps the most interesting development is the use of famous personalities to endorse a product. The basketball player, Michael Jordan, endorsed Nike products and wore them while playing. David Beckham, the footballer, endorsed Police sunglasses.
Getting well-known personalities to endorse a product can be very expensive, but endorsements certainly increase a product’s sales, especially if the personality has a positive image in the eyes of the public.
b) Find words and phrases in the text that mean the following:
1. passing messages from one person to another orally; 2. a large notice or picture to advertise something; 3. a colourful image on stone; 4. small notices and advertisements; 5. a small advert in a newspaper to buy or sell something; 6. buying goods from a company that sends them by post; 7. advertising a product by putting it in a film or a TV programme; 8. use of a product by a well-known person who says they like it.
