| Everyone knows what advertisements are, though not | | | | mid 1990s that web based advertisements became |
| every person necessarily recognizes every | | | | commonplace; before this time, too few households |
| advertisement they see as such. | | | | online for advertisers to become aware of its potential |
| Advertisements are messages primarily intended to | | | | to reach their target markets (though there had been |
| drive sales of products or services. However, they | | | | some limited use of the web for business to business |
| also serve purposes other than eliciting a direct | | | | advertising). Online advertising continued to grow until |
| consumer response of this sort. They are also used to | | | | by 2000, the popularity of e-commerce and the sheer |
| create and enhance brand identity and foster | | | | number of people on the web made it possible for |
| customer loyalty. | | | | businesses to avoid using online advertisements only at |
| Advertisements may use any and every type of | | | | their peril. |
| media including print (newspapers, magazines and | | | | Online advertisements are big business, threatening to |
| through subtle product placements, even books), | | | | overshadow older advertising media and are a large |
| broadcast media like radio and television, outdoor | | | | and growing part of the marketing strategies of |
| media (billboards, signs and so on), the web and other | | | | companies of every size and in every industry. Google, |
| new media. They show up even in video games, | | | | Yahoo and the other major search engines now earn |
| movie trailers (and in films through product placement, | | | | billions of dollars from online advertisements every |
| something also a regular practice on television). With | | | | year. |
| so many media possibilities, consumers are sometimes | | | | The web is a versatile way to reach consumers; other |
| exposed to adverts without even knowing it! | | | | than text and images, the interactive multimedia |
| Advertising has been with us for millennia; for almost | | | | capabilities of the internet help advertisers connect with |
| as long as people have been engaging in commerce, | | | | their target markets in new and exciting ways. While |
| merchants have been using various means to promote | | | | online ads already have a lot to offer, the internet is still |
| sales of their products and services. Of course, | | | | a growing medium and the technologies used to deliver |
| advertisements have changed a lot since their | | | | advertising online are certain to become more |
| beginning, but their purpose has been a constant. | | | | sophisticated over time. |
| The first known ads date back to ancient Egypt; the | | | | Placing advertisements in video games are the latest |
| practice of promoting one's wares quickly spread, with | | | | development in the field. Delivering the same multimedia |
| merchants in Egypt, Greece and other contemporary | | | | strategies of online advertising via video games, |
| civilizations using papyrus to create posters. The | | | | advertisers are aiming for market share amongst the |
| ancient Romans invented political advertising with rock | | | | enormous and growing video gaming demographic. |
| paintings used to urge voters to back a particular | | | | Advertisements have been worked seamlessly into |
| candidate. Print rapidly became the advertising media | | | | gaming and this is certain to be a growth industry going |
| of choice, something which stayed the same until the | | | | forward. |
| 1920's when advertisements entered the modern era | | | | Media technologies change; but the purpose and the |
| with the advent of commercial radio. | | | | message of advertisements don't. As long as there |
| Television arrived shortly after, almost immediately | | | | are goods and services to sell, companies will continue |
| becoming a venue for advertisements as well as | | | | to go where their customers are. From print to video |
| programming. Until the internet began to be common in | | | | games and everything in between: radio advertising, |
| households, TV, radio and print media were the | | | | TV advertising, outdoor advertising and types of |
| primary media used by advertisers. | | | | advertising media not yet developed, advertisements |
| The World Wide Web revolutionized advertising by | | | | are here to stay. |
| providing a new, interactive medium. It wasn't until the | | | | |