This weekend marks a major milestone in digital advertising with the 30th anniversary of the world’s first banner ad going live.
The first banner ad (main pic) was for telecoms giant AT&T. It appeared on Wired mag’s website Hotwired.com and invited users of the world wide web to ‘click here’.
So we’ve invited ad agency and adtech leaders to share their views of this milestone moment in digital adland, how far we’ve come, and where we may be heading next…
Rob Conibear, Managing Director, JvM London
“Love them or loathe them, everyone has almost certainly been influenced by banner ads, even if they would rather not admit it.
“The ability to click straight through has been a blessing and a curse. Some of the best banners work like outdoor in my opinion, putting the brand front of mind, rather than chasing clicks.
“Media owners need to get better at integrating the formats into their content without so much scrolling disruption. Maybe then banners would be more appreciated.
“Here’s to a new era.”
Fiona Salmon, Managing Director, Mantis
“In many ways as we look back towards the banner ad, it feels like we are coming full circle.
“Building upon the heritage of print advertising, display advertising created a good on-page experience and made the pay-off for users clear – quality advertising for quality publishing.
“The successful launches of Netflix, Disney, and Amazon’s ad-supported tier shows that audiences are once again comfortable with this trade off, seeing ads as a key part of the content experience, not an interruption.
“Similarly, it was with banner ads that the impact of contextual relevance became clear. With the slow depreciation of the cookie, this is once again coming into vogue as an effective way to drive engagement and ensure spend is highly targeted.
“Though the leaps and bounds the digital advertising industry has taken in recent years would have been unimaginable back in 1994, we’re coming back to many of the principles that made banner ads a success in the first place.”
Andrew Mole, CEO and co-Founder, pubX
“Banner ads have been a staple of digital publisher monetization strategies before this term even existed, so intertwined are they with the nascent, pre-consolidated internet.
“Born in those halcyon, post-messenger-board days on hotwired.com, in part as an experiment to capture attention, arguably their capacity to do so has waned whilst their ubiquity has grown.
“Arresting this decline in grabbing attention, CTRs and viewability have now settled, and banner ads remain the staple for publishers to drive revenue online, and the foundation on which the Open Web is built.
“Often dismissed as annoying, or even outright blocked, it is impossible to conceive (for good or bad) of the internet as it exists today without them.
“As a species, we have created an open network of all the world’s information, knowledge and entertainment, powered by those few IAB approved slots.
“This simply wouldn’t have been possible without advertising revenue, which is what has allowed the Open Web to grow.
“It is now the job of Publisher Technology companies to look to the future, and ensure that the Open Web continues to thrive, even if the advertising vehicles that brought it to being shift and change.
“For those entrenched in the internet, it is as inconceivable that banner ads will go away, as it would be to the average person in the mid 20th century that they could read all the news in the world, in real time, for free, but the one constant in this industry is change, so whilst we look to what’s next, it’s important to acknowledge and celebrate what got us here: the humble banner ad.”
Loren Berrier, Senior Manager, Creative Strategy, VidMob
“While the introduction of banner ads was a pivotal moment that enabled brands to better reach consumers in the internet age, the day video banner ads were created was when digital advertising came alive.
“I distinctly remember the revolutionary shift, when web languages were evolved enough to host animated, video banner ads, and the web transitioned from a static environment to a dynamic experience, offering creative formats similar to those on broadcast channels at the time.
“Brands, publishers, and advertisers alike saw this as a golden opportunity and indispensable communication tool to engage target audiences in a new visually stimulating and dynamic way.
“It’s no secret that AI will continue to drive the next decade of digital innovation, and I’m excited to see how it will create further efficiencies in content excellence, and deliver personalisation at scale.
“Empowering creators with new tools has been a cornerstone of the digital revolution, and there is a huge opportunity for AI to continue driving creative innovation to meet the rapidly changing environment where digital advertising is today, versus the past.”
Anthony Flaccavento, General Manager, Ogury
“Since the first eye-catching banner was served, we’ve seen AT&T’s future-gazing forecasts of e-books and video calling come true, in addition to the creation of an entire digital media ecosystem.
“But while advertisers can now provide rich multi-channel experiences that go far beyond clicking through to the Louvre’s best paintings, industry evolution still has some way to go — especially in terms of privacy.
Consumers have called for stronger data protection and regulators are responding, as demonstrated by the fast-multiplying number of state-level laws, currently sitting at 20.
“A change in targeting approach is therefore becoming increasingly essential to sustain consumer confidence and stay on the right side of regulators.
“Over the next decade (and more), advertisers must start exploring privacy-first ways of ensuring real-time relevance, including leaning towards user-supplied insights instead of online tracking.”
Keoni Granger, Head of Creative, Audience Store
“It’s been 30 years since the first banner ad snagged a huge 40% click-through rate! Nowadays, cutting through the digital noise means we’ve got to get way more creative, tapping into data and personalisation to hold people’s attention for even a second.
“At Audience Store, we make this happen by using dynamic creative and cross-channel strategies that keep audiences engaged across every platform.”
Joseph Pamboris, co-Founder, Solutions Lead, Alligator Solutions
“As we approach the 30th anniversary of the first banner ad, it’s clear that digital advertising has undergone a profound transformation.
“The measure of view-through conversions has kept the banner ad alive but it could be argued that it should never have been a direct response channel.
“Back then, ads were often clunky and disruptive, like the infamous “shoot the duck to win an iPod” ads.
“Although banner ads have lost ground to more dynamic formats like video and native display (such as on walled garden platforms), they can continue to serve a purpose when done thoughtfully.
“The future of digital advertising lies in delivering value beyond solely relying on antiquated proxy metrics like cost per thousand impressions, click through rates, even cost per acquisition.
“As the industry moves forward, banners will play a smaller, but more strategic, role in this next chapter of digital marketing.”
Marcus Cooper, Business Director, UK, Making Science
“As we mark 30 years since the first banner ad, it’s fascinating to see just how much digital advertising has evolved.
“In the early days, it was all about creative design; the look and feel. The Pepsi vs Coca-Cola taste challenge banner ad was the epitome of this (and it sparked a good natured debate amongst friends).
“Today, data insights play a central role in shaping creatives, making them more targeted and relevant.
“Banner ads remain a vital part of the digital marketing mix. They continue to drive significant click-through conversions, and with projected growth in both usage and spend by 2025, they’re far from obsolete.
“Combined with a well-executed keyword strategy, banner ads are a highly effective format for driving traffic and boosting engagement.
“AI will undoubtedly push the boundaries further as it’s more widely leveraged, shaping a new era of personalised and intelligent advertising.
“Now is the perfect time for brands to reassess their digital strategies, ensuring their banner ads align with audience needs and deliver measurable results.”
Alvaro Mayol, Partner and General Manager, Taptap Digital
“In the early days, everything felt like an experiment. We were trying out different ad formats, and the rules weren’t really written yet.
“The creativity was flowing because there wasn’t a heavy reliance on data or strict guidelines. It was a time when you could take risks, and sometimes, they paid off in ways that felt groundbreaking.
“I remember the sense of excitement—everyone in the industry knew we were at the beginning of something big, even if we didn’t quite know what “big” looked like yet”
“It’s amazing to see how digital advertising has evolved from simple banner ads like BMW’s “Do you like to drive?” to the complex, data-driven strategies we use today.
“While technology has advanced, the core challenge remains the same — how do we create ads that resonate with users without disrupting their experience? That balance is what continues to drive the industry forward.”
Jason Warner, Director, UK and EMEA, SBS
“The early days of digital advertising was the Wild West and we were all explorers finding our way round. The level of innovation was second to none and banner ads were a major landmark in this regard.
“Even then, they divided opinion. No matter your opinion, I think their role as a less intrusive but still impactful form of advertising was vital for normalising the value exchange of advertising for free content and services.
“Ultimately, there’s no better alternative for most digital real estate.”
“Much of the Free Web is still reliant on banner advertising of some form, including many of the world’s most respected publishers, and I don’t see this changing anytime soon.
“That’s not to say there is no space for innovation. Programmatic advertising still lacks the transparency and safety that brands need for their spend.
“The solutions and technology to tackle this already exist, it is now just up to us as an industry to implement them to deliver advertising that is more transparent, ethical, and effective.”