The first paid TV advertisement aired in the United States in 1941, when Bulova paid $4-9 to display a clock with the phrase "Bulova Watch Time" during a baseball game. The United Kingdom aired its first TV ad in 1955. Initially, only large companies could afford to advertise on TV. By the early 1990s, smaller local businesses could also create and run local cable TV ads. As TV advertising became more popular over time, the costs increased and the most expensive advertising slots were between 8-11pm. Advertisements have also been banned after airing if they did not meet standards, such as cigarette ads in 1971.

1. History of Advertisements
Mark Kalinsky
The first official and paid TV advertisement was broadcasted over the air in the
United States on the 1st July 1941 from a New York Station WNBT at a baseball
game between home comers Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies. It was
estimated that Bulova paid roughly $4 - $9 to display a WNBT test pattern
modified to look like a clock with the phrase “Bulova Watch Time” shown at the
lower right-hand quadrant of the test pattern and the hand stood still for for 10
seconds. This costs is teeny compared to the monumental amount that it costs
today to air an advert, approximately several millions.
The United Kingdom then got into the TV advertisement business, broadcasting
the first advert on a popular channel ITV on 22nd September 1955 from a
company called “Gibbs” showing an advert of their new toothpaste ‘Gibbs SR’. It
was a huge success changing the course of advertisements forever.
This was until the early 1990s when advertisements were thought to be only for
the large companies willing to make a substantial payment, “Coke”, “Apple” etc.…
To get the product, or services they want to sell out there to the public and make
a bigger profit. Now small and local businesses could start creating their own ads
for local cable TV services. The two main tasks of advertising in other countries
involve two main tasks:
 Creating an TV advertisement that meets broadcast standards
 Placing the advertisement on TV via a targeted air time media that targets
the correct target group
As advertisement gradually became more popular, so did the costs of the
privilege to be able to produce one. The most expensive time period of the day to
air an advertisement was between 8-11pm.
Advertisements that are broadcasted can also be banned even after they have
been aired if they do not meet standards. In 1971 any cigarettes adverts that was
aired were banned and TV industry lost $220 million per year in ad revenue.
Early restrictions banned TV adverts for undertaking; smoking cures,
moneylenders or treatments for alcoholism. The start of the 1960s era brought a
whole new kind of TV advertisements aimed towards a new target group,
political campaigns promoting governmental figures.
Producing an advert in the 1960s would normally last 1-2 minutes, that’s when
advertising started to become a serious business and it didn’t take long for
people to start offering themselves as specialists in advertising because you
would be earning more money in the advertisement business than in any other.
An advertisement is aimed at multiple age groups depending on what the
company is selling. Anti-Ageing creams are aimed at Women & Men over 50
years of age who want to look younger and feel attractive again what ever it
takes.

2. As the 21st century became closer, the advertising industry needed to adapt to
changes in society. Therefore came action-packed full-featured adverts destined
to change how we look at adverts forever! That’s where we are today in
advertisement standards.