COMPANYHISTORIES
NAIC 54181

Advertising Agencies

How the companies in this industry began, and the forces that shaped them.

16companies1835–1998founding years13still active2no longer operating
§ 01

The industry over time

Companies foundedEconomyTechnologyEnvironmentHistory
FoundedHavas SA
1835
FoundedThe Economist Group Ltd.
1843
1903
TechnologyThe Wright brothers achieve powered flight.
FoundedArnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A.
1912
1914
EconomyWorld War I begins; global trade reorders.
FoundedGrey Global Group Inc.
1917
FoundedOdakyu Electric Railway Co., Ltd.
1923
FoundedPublicis S.A.
1926
FoundedW.B Doner & Co.
1937
1939
EconomyWorld War II begins; wartime production surges.
FoundedFoote, Cone & Belding Worldwide
1942
1945
EconomyThe war ends; a long global expansion begins.
1947
TechnologyThe transistor is invented.
1958
TechnologyThe integrated circuit is demonstrated.
FoundedFrankel & Co.
1962
EnvironmentSilent Spring launches the modern environmental movement.
FoundedTMP Worldwide Inc.
1967
1975
TechnologyThe personal-computer era begins.
FoundedChisholm-Mingo Group, Inc.
1977
1981
TechnologyThe IBM PC launches and sets a standard.
FoundedCadmus Communications Corporation
1984
TechnologyApple ships the Macintosh; the GUI era begins.
FoundedKirshenbaum Bond + Partners, Inc.
1987
1989
HistoryThe Berlin Wall falls; global markets open up.
FoundedRush Communications
1990
1991
TechnologyThe World Wide Web is released to the public.
1993
TechnologyThe Mosaic browser brings the web to everyone.
1995
TechnologyWindows 95 launches; the internet goes mainstream.
FoundedValueClick, Inc.
1997
EnvironmentThe Kyoto Protocol sets the first climate targets.
Founded24/7 Real Media, Inc.
1998
2004
TechnologySocial media and Web 2.0 take hold.
2007
TechnologyThe iPhone launches the smartphone era.
2010
TechnologyCloud computing goes mainstream for business.
2015
EnvironmentThe Paris Agreement sets global climate targets.
2020
EconomyThe COVID-19 pandemic upends the global economy.
2022
EconomyInflation spikes; central banks raise rates sharply.
2023
TechnologyGenerative AI reaches mainstream business use.
§ 02

The companies

Havas SA →
Active · founded 1835 · France
Havas SA, a wholly owned subsidiary of utilities and telecommunications giant Vivendi SA, is the largest publishing…
The Economist Group Ltd. →
Active · founded 1843 · United Kingdom
The Economist Group Ltd.
Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A. →
Active · founded 1912 · Italy
Late 1980s:Battle for control of Mondadori begins between De Benedetti and Berlusconi.
Grey Global Group Inc. →
Defunct · founded 1917
Grey Global Group Inc., formerly Grey Advertising Inc., is one of the world's largest advertising agencies with offices…
Odakyu Electric Railway Co., Ltd. →
Active · founded 1923 · Japan
Odakyu Electric Railway Co., Ltd.
Publicis S.A. →
Active · founded 1926 · France
Publicis S.A.
W.B Doner & Co. →
Active · founded 1937
W.B.
Foote, Cone & Belding Worldwide →
Renamed · founded 1942
With a history dating back to 1873, Foote, Cone & Belding Worldwide is one of the oldest providers of advertising and…
Frankel & Co. →
Active · founded 1962
Frankel & Co.
TMP Worldwide Inc. →
Active · founded 1967
TMP Worldwide Inc.
Chisholm-Mingo Group, Inc. →
Active · founded 1977
Chisholm-Mingo Group, Inc.
Cadmus Communications Corporation →
Defunct · founded 1984
Cadmus Communications Corporation was named after the Greek mythological figure who founded Thebes and introduced the…
Kirshenbaum Bond + Partners, Inc. →
Active · founded 1987
Kirshenbaum Bond + Partners, Inc.
Rush Communications →
Active · founded 1990
Rush Communications is the most successful African American-owned media company in the United States, operating…
ValueClick, Inc. →
Active · founded 1997
ValueClick, Inc.
24/7 Real Media, Inc. →
Active · founded 1998
Formed in early 1998 as 24/7 Media Inc., the company, renamed 24/7 Real Media, Inc., specializes in providing services…
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