10,000 BC

1440

The Printing Press was invented giving people the ability to share messages with large audiences.

Fortunately, junk mail was still a long way off.

1468

This is the first, documented print ad in history. It was run by William Caxton to promote a book.

We don’t know what it says or if it worked since, in 1468, a tiny percentage of the population could read.

1786

William Taylor opened the first advertising agency in London’s Warwick Square.

At the time, nobody monitored advertising and advertisers could, and did, tell outright lies. False advertising was highly effective until the lawyers got involved.

1915

Broadcast Radio debuted with live music, news and “theatre of the mind” radio shows.

Marketing messages were buried right into the scripts giving us the first branded content. Radio was supposed to be the end of the printed word. It wasn’t.

1927

Television made its debut. There was only one channel, and there was always something good to watch.

Today, we have over 1,000 channels, and there’s never anything on. Forget radio; everyone knew that TV was the end of the printed word. It wasn’t.

1949

In 1949, ads boasted that “Doctors Prefer Camels.”

Now we have fake Doctors in lab coats standing in fields of flowers pitching remedies for diseases and conditions that most of us can’t pronounce and didn’t know existed.

1960

Bad puns and catchy jingles were all the rage in the ’60s. People smoked at work. Men wore ties and ran the agencies.

Women wore dresses and were called secretaries. It took 50 years for the Me-Too movement to change all that. All except the bad puns, sadly, they’re still around.

1970

Borrowed Interest defined the 70’s and, to this day, borrowed interest is considered to the lowest form of advertising.

Celebrities sold everything from cars to cough drops. In hindsight, advertisers didn’t always pick the ideal, long-term spokespeople.

1972

That year, the first large scale public demonstration of the ARPANET was conducted and the hot new app, electronic mail, was introduced.

1990

Branding became a thing in the ’90s. Until then, branding was only used as a verb when cattle were involved.

We believe that your brand is your promise. Keep your promise and watch your brand grow and flourish.

1995

The FNC passes a resolution defining the term “Internet.” Chat rooms evolved, and people learned to type with one hand.

For the first time in 550 years, the printed word starts to decline, and trees everywhere appreciate it.

2000

Integrated Communications was the new thing in Y2K. The idea was that ad agencies could sell more stuff and make more money from every client. It didn’t work.

Marketers preferred specialists to generalists. It was around this time that people started using stock photo handshakes as metaphors for anything to do with business.

2018

SINCOS, a digital engagement agency, opens in Bucharest.

Our philosophy from the start has been to grow our business by helping our clients grow theirs. Four years later, it seems to be working.