The world's longest running TV commercial is the Discount Tire Company's Thank you commercial, produced by Swartwout Productions (Arizona, USA) and first aired in 1975. The same commercial has been aired continuously every year in parts of the USA.

The first TV ad was aired in July 1941 during a baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies. The ad was for Bulova watches, and it lasted for just over a minute. This was the first time that people were able to see a commercial on their television sets.

1941: First legal We'll now discuss the first-ever recognised television commercial. To do so, we must return to July 1st, 1941, in New York City. The WNBT (now WNBC channel four) broadcasted an advert for the watchmaker Bulova, before a baseball game.

Copies of commercials received as copyright deposits can be searched in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. The titles of the commercials begin with the generic term, "[Television commercial–]," and continue with the name of the product or sponsor and, in some cases, the title of the commercial, if known.

Ancient Egypt The oldest known advertisement was discovered in Thebes and has been dated back to 3000BC. The ad outlined the story of Habu, a fabric vendor, and his missing slave, Shem.

July 1st, 1941 The Birth of TV Advertising The money was in selling TV sets. But once most homes had one, the model had to pivot. The first TV ad ran on July 1st, 1941, before a game between the then-Brooklyn Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies.

A TV spot is like an advert you see on television for services or products. It has a story, actors and a message and it aims to convince the viewer of the benefits of the product or service the advertiser is promoting.

A commercial is an advertisement for a business. Commercial activity is selling goods or services for profit. There's also commercial trading in the forward and futures markets, generally done for hedging purposes.

July 1st, 1941 The Birth of TV Advertising The first TV ad ran on July 1st, 1941, before a game between the then-Brooklyn Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Television advertising started simply in the early 1940s, with the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issuing commercial licenses to 10 US stations. Then, as TV technology evolved - with color pictures, more channels, and increased distribution - the industry quickly grew into a moneymaking behemoth.

The Birth of TV Advertising The first TV ad ran on July 1st, 1941, before a game between the then-Brooklyn Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies.

The first ever television commercial aired on July 1, 1941 - exactly 80 years ago - promoting watches made by the company Bulova. What was the cost of the ad? A cool $9 was all it took to produce the ad and show it before the match between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies.