American Association of Advertising Agencies

National trade association founded in 1917 to represent the public advertising agency business.

From the description of Records, 1918-1992. (Duke University Library). WorldCat record id: 81999843

From the description of American Association of Advertising Agencies records, 1918-1998. (Duke University Library). WorldCat record id: 38247437

• 1900: American Advertising Agents' Association
• 1911: Association of New York Advertising Agents; William H. Johns (George Batten Company and founder of Audit Bureau of Circulations), Chairman
• 1912 - 1916 : Regional advertising associations
• 1916: Affiliated Association of Advertising Agencies
• 1917: American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA) formed with 111 charter members and 5 regional councils (New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, Southern) AAAA instrumental in formation of the Division of Advertising, Committee of Public Information, to support the war effort through recruiting, liberty bond, and Red Cross promotion
• 1917 - 1919 : William H. Johns, President (position later renamed Chairman)
• 1917 - 1927 : James O'Shaughnessy, Executive Secretary (position later renamed President)
• 1918: Agency Service Standards adopted Media Rate Card established to publish and standardize member advertising rates
• 1919 - 1928 : Advertising Agencies Corporation formed to support the war effort and other public service programs
• 1920: Standard order blanks, copyright protected forms to document member advertising services
• 1921: Uniform 15% commission rate; eventually adopted as an industry standard
• 1924: AAAA Standards of Practice
• 1926: U.S. President Calvin Coolidge delivered keynote address at the 10th Annual Meeting
• 1928 - 1943 : John Benson, AAAA President
• 1931: Creative Code adopted to regulate advertising content
• 1936: AAAA and Association of National Advertisers (ANA) jointly form the Advertising Research Foundation to foster advertising-related market research
• 1942: War Advertising Council
• 1944 - 1961 : Frederic R. Gamble, AAAA President
• 1945: Committee to Address Objectionable Advertising
• 1946: AAAA Interchange of Opinion, a forum where members could register complaints of objectionable advertising
• 1960: AAAA and ANA joint Committee for the Improvement of Advertising Content, aimed at industry self-regulation
• 1962 - 1977 : John Crichton, AAAA President
• 1967: AAAA Educational Foundation, to foster advertising-related research at the university level
• 1971: National Advertising Review Board
• 1973: Multicultural Advertising Internship Program (MAIP), to encourage minority entry into the advertising profession
• 1978: William R. Hesse, AAAA President
• 1979 - 1988 : Leonard S. Matthews, AAAA President
• 1983: AAAA Educational Foundation and Educational Foundation of the American Advertising Foundation merge to form Advertising Educational Foundation
• 1986: Media Advertising Partnership for a Drug-Free America
• 1989 - 1993 : John E. O'Toole, AAAA President
• 1994 - 1994 Present : O. Burtch Drake, AAAA President
• Circa 1995: AAAA and ANA jointly form Coalition for Advertising Supported Information and Entertainment (CASIE) to address issues relating to interactive media and internet advertising, including online privacy

Historical timeline compiled from Marsha Appel, American Association of Advertising Agencies, in Advertising Age Encyclopedia of Advertising (N.Y.: Fitzroy Dearborn, 2003) and other sources.

From the guide to the American Association of Advertising Agencies Records, 1918-1998, (David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University)