Advertising (How Ads Persuade Us)

Have you ever seen a poster for a new movie and felt a little fizz of excitement in your tummy, making you say, “I have to see that.”? Or maybe you’ve heard a super catchy song on TV about a yummy, crunchy cereal and suddenly wanted a big bowl for breakfast. That little whisper in your ear, that colorful picture, and that fun jingle—that’s me. I am the exciting idea that makes you stop and say, “Wow, what’s that?” My job is to help people share all the wonderful things they make, from the fastest toy cars to the sweetest, gooiest chocolate chip cookies. I help inventors and builders and bakers tell everyone about their amazing creations so you can discover them too. It’s a very important job, helping people connect with things they might really love. You can call me Advertising.

I’m much older than you might think. I’ve been around for thousands of years, helping people share their news. Way back in ancient Egypt, people would write on special paper called papyrus to sell things they had made. In ancient Rome, men called town criers would stand in busy squares and shout out the latest news, like where to find the freshest bread or when the next big gladiator games would be. For a very long time, sharing me was slow work. Someone had to write every message by hand or shout it with their own voice. But everything changed around the year 1440. A clever man in Germany named Johannes Gutenberg invented something amazing called the printing press. It was a machine that could copy words and pictures over and over again, super fast. Suddenly, I could be everywhere. The very first ad printed in the English language appeared in 1477. It was created by a printer named William Caxton to tell people about a new book he was selling. After that, I started popping up in newspapers during the 1700s, becoming a regular part of people’s day and helping them discover all sorts of new things, from soap to shoes.

For hundreds of years, I was just words and pictures on paper. But then, new inventions gave me a voice. On August 28th, 1922, I did something brand new. I jumped onto the radio. Imagine listening to your favorite show and suddenly hearing a voice talking about a wonderful new apartment building. People were so surprised. I could finally speak directly to them. But the biggest change was yet to come. On July 1st, 1941, I made my television debut. During a baseball game, I appeared on the screen for a few seconds to show off a beautiful watch. It was the very first time I could move and talk at the same time, right inside people's living rooms. With radio and television, I could travel through the air into homes all over the country, sharing stories and ideas with more people than ever before. It was like magic.

Today, you can find me almost everywhere. I’m on your computer screen when you play a game, on the tablet you use to watch cartoons, and on giant, colorful billboards you see from the car. My job is still the same as it was thousands of years ago: to connect people with things they might love. I help inventors share their cool new gadgets with the world. I let artists announce their concerts and shows so everyone can come and enjoy them. I can even do very important things, like help someone find their lost puppy by spreading the word quickly. My goal is to share ideas. So next time you see me, think about the creative ways people share their stories. And maybe, think about what amazing ideas you might want to share with the world one day.