• 2

1870–1879: the Industrial revolution continued

as james walter thompson got to work

The Industrial Revolution helps post-Civil War America become one of the world's
most
productive economies. Store owners and shopkeepers found themselves busier than
ever,
providing newly available consumer goods to Americans. And young Thompson

seized the opportunity to help those busy store owners and shopkeepers.

• 3

1880–1889: the birth of modern advertising

The Gilded Age, which began in the late 1870s and persisted into the 1910s, saw rapid industrialization , groundbreaking innovations in science
and technology, and the rise of big business. J. Walter Thompson saw an opportunity. Why not employ writers and artists to create interesting
advertisements for these companies, thus replacing the often banal ads created by in-house businesses? This was a seminal moment in the
history of advertising, injecting creativity into what was once mundane communications.

• 4

1890–1899: the commodore goes global

By 1890, magazine circulation in the U.S. reached 18 million. Over 4,400
magazines were in publication at this time. The famed creative department
of the J. Walter Thompson Agency had to work overtime just to keep up.

• 5

1900–1909: snuff out your candles, give your horse a rest

The early 1900s marked a pivotal moment in the history of the J. Walter Thompson Agency. As America solidified its
position as a world super-power, U.S. cities were wired for electricity and telephones. With the founding of the Ford
Motor Company in 1903, the age of the automobile was upon us. These monumental innovations forever changed the
way we communicate, the way we travel and, ultimately, the way we advertise.

• 6

1910–1919: sex, war, and automobiles

The 1910s were fraught with calamity in the lead up and the aftermath of World War I.
This tragedy and others,
including the untimely sinking of the Titanic, consumed the
decade. But it was a time of progress nonetheless,
with Henry Ford introducing the
Model T and J. Walter Thompson making the revolutionary—if now
obvious—choice to
appeal to our basest instincts, making the first use of sex appeal, in a Woodbury Soap ad.

• 7

1920–1929: a worldwide party

As a result of experiences in foreign markets, The J. Walter Thompson Agency determined
that people
everywhere share the same basic wants and desires. The company helps
American exporters sell a
variety of consumer goods (from Royal Baking Powder to
Beautyrest mattresses) around the World.

• 8

1930–1939: growth in the great depression

The roaring party of the '20s came to an end. The Great Depression descended
upon the world. J. Walter Thompson persevered by helping clients focus their
advertising on essential goods and services, rather than luxury goods.

• 9

1940–1949: americans banded together in the war effort
while j. walter thompson banded together with rolex

The first half of the 1940s was laden with the cultural implications of World War II. Everyday citizens pitched in for
the war effort, while the J. Walter Thompson Agency helped produce Public Service Announcements for the cause.
Despite the atrocities of the war, the 40s would prove to be a prolific decade for advertising.

• 10

1950–1959: small screen. big ideas

As televisions became a fixture in American living rooms, J. Walter Thompson helped clients
capitalize on this game-changing medium, producing both programming and commercial spots.
Although the 50s were a socially conservative decade, creativity flourished with the publication of
seminal novels like The Catcher in the Rye, Fahrenheit 451 and Lolita .

• 11

1960–1969: the times, they are a-changin'

As business boomed and television went Technicolor, the march for Civil Rights
pushed America toward change. J. Walter Thompson reflected the shifting culture,
both tonally and artistically, with its celebrated Uncola campaign for 7-Up.

• 12

1970–1979: Feminism, Vietnam, and more pioneering

The revolutionary social changes brought about by the Civil Rights and Feminist
movements challenged advertising to its core. J. Walter Thompson helped clients respond
by producing more inclusive advertising and showing women (and men) in more flexible roles.

• 13

1980–1989: the introduction of the pc, the end of
chinese isolationism and big hair

China emerged from isolation, opening up new potential for Asian markets. As Chinese isolation declined,
American businesses saw new potential in Asian markets. J. Walter Thompson, via its Hong Kong branch
office, was one of the first American agencies on the scene.

• 14

1990–1999: A Unified Germany and
The Information Super-Highway

The historic fall of the Berlin Wall paved the way for a global marketplace that revolutionized
international business. Also, a little thing called the Internet gained a bit of notoriety.

• 15

2000–2009: 9/11 and social media

The Internet bubbled, our peace was shattered, yet we were all
drawn closer together than ever by the seemingly instantaneous
communications that changed our sense of time and distance.

• 16

2010–onward: on-demand programming and the rise of mobile

People filtered content by what they wanted, not by what was offered. The DVR, On-Demand
and Internet channels gave rise to a golden age of programming led by HBO, AMC and
Netflix. Meanwhile, mobile technology became the source for news and knowledge around
the world, as revolution and innovation spread like wildfire.

• 17

epilogue

While it seems to have gone by in the blink of an eye, the past

150 years has been an amazing ride for J. Walter Thompson, and

for all of the employees who work here.