Strategic story: The making of modern advertising The history of western advertising dates back to at least the 1630s, when Frenchman Theophraste Renaudot placed the first advertising notes in La Gazette de France, but the term advertising agency first appeared in 1842, when Volney B. Palmer opened for business in Philadelphia. Widely accepted as the birth of modern advertising, Palmer’s venture marks the birth of a creative industry that has radically transformed our culture and language. Divided into sections by decades, this freshly updated edition explores the legendary campaigns and brands of advertising’s modern history. With specific anecdotes and comments on the importance of every campaign, it curates advertising gold right through to the last decade. Check out the picture of the camel behind the legendary Camel pack, the first Coca Cola ad, and the masterworks by Picasso and Magritte that inspired advertising imagery.