About Us : History
James Walter Thompson
JWT was founded by James Carlton in New York in 1864 as the world's first advertising company. Carlton's company was renames by James Walter Thompson in 1877 to The James Walter Thompson Company, which eventually became present company name. In 1956, J. Walter Thompson Japan (JWT Japan) began its operation as the first foreign advertising agency. Now JWT Japan has over fifty years of history in the country, and has become the first non-Japanese advertising company with accounts with all the four major media (i.e. TV, newspapers, magazines, and radio).
JWT's proven track record as a pioneer
| 1864 | FIRST Ad Agency |
|---|---|
| 1900 | FIRST Consumer Research Dept |
| 1912 | FIRST Media Research Dept |
| 1917 | FIRST in Total Branding |
| 1927 | FIRST Global Agency Network |
| 1930 | FIRST commercial TV program |
| 1947 | FIRST TV network drama series |
| 1956 | FIRST international agency in Japan |
| 1962 | FIRST media spot-buying network |
| 1968 | FIRST Account Planning Dept. |
- FIRST Agency to place advertising in magazines
- FIRST Agency use consumer testimonials
- FIRST Agency to use photography in advertising
- FIRST Agency to apply motivational studies to ad development
- FIRST Agency to use scientific and medical findings as basis for copy
- FIRST Agency to promote careers for women in advertising