Advertising and Publishing in Canada: The history of the Canadian advertising

Creative agency "BBDO Toronto"

Original vintage magazine ad for Canadian MacNaughton Whisky
"Canada, you are too good to us", 1969

The advertising for immigrants to Western Canada,
1870-1930

Advertising has always been a strong communication tool. It reflects and personifies different changes in everyday life, such as political, cultural, economic and artistic, and makes strong impact on people.

Halifax Gazette

Canadian advertising history begins with the first formal advertisement in an official governmental publication called Halifax Gazette. It represented an offer of butter for sale and appeared in 1752. Interestingly, that HG was the first newspaper in Canada.

The print media offered 4 types of possible ads - daily newspapers, general-interest magazines, special-interest magazines, and posters.

Eaton`s 1904 catalogue
(issued as the first mail-order catalogue)

In 1889, Anson McKim opened an office in Montreal in order to organize the placements of advertisings in Ontario newspapers, thus, he created the first Canadian advertising agency. McConnel Advertising became the second one and was opened in London, Ontario, in 1900s.

The vintage style of print advertising in Canada could be characterized as minimalistic. It excluded heavy graphic and design components and typography, yet remained quite an impressive example of the print posters at that date.