3000 BCE

to 2026

Exploring advertising from

the past to today

5000 years of Attention

A royal-style bed with a woman resting on it, in a luxurious bedroom setting.

SF — 941

A

Place

to

rediscover

advertising

Advertsing

from the Latin verb advertere, meaning "to turn towards" or "to pay attention". This combines ad ("towards") and vertere ("to turn"). The term evolved through Middle French as avertissement before entering Middle English in the 15th century, initially meaning a public notice to call attention to something

A vintage-style hotel lounge with classic furnishings and decor.

Recording Advertising History

Stone & Voice

Stone & Voice

Stone & Voice

3000 BCE – 1440

1440 – 1840

Ink

Ink

Ink

The Brand Age

The Brand Age

The Brand Age

1840 – 1920

1920 – 1960

Broadcast

Broadcast

Broadcast

The Measured Web

The Measured Web

The Measured Web

1960 – 2025

2025 - Today

Conversational AI Age

Conversational AI Age

Conversational AI Age

the

Stone & Voice : 3000 BCE – 1440

Persuasion before print. Clay tablets, painted walls, and the town crier
A vintage-style hotel suite with classic furnishings and elegant decor.

the

Stone & Voice : 3000 BCE – 1440

Persuasion before print. Clay tablets, painted walls, and the town crier
A vintage-style hotel suite with classic furnishings and elegant decor.

the

Stone & Voice : 3000 BCE – 1440

Persuasion before print. Clay tablets, painted walls, and the town crier
A vintage-style hotel suite with classic furnishings and elegant decor.

the

Ink : 1440 – 1840

The press separates the message from the place. Advertising learns to travel.
Vintage telephone placed on a bedroom side table beside the bed.

the

Ink : 1440 – 1840

The press separates the message from the place. Advertising learns to travel.
Vintage telephone placed on a bedroom side table beside the bed.

the

Ink : 1440 – 1840

The press separates the message from the place. Advertising learns to travel.
Vintage telephone placed on a bedroom side table beside the bed.

the

The Brand Age : 1840 – 1920

Agencies, trademarks, and the poster. Mass production invents the mass market.
A vintage-style bar with classic wooden furnishings and ambient lighting.

the

The Brand Age : 1840 – 1920

Agencies, trademarks, and the poster. Mass production invents the mass market.
A vintage-style bar with classic wooden furnishings and ambient lighting.

the

The Brand Age : 1840 – 1920

Agencies, trademarks, and the poster. Mass production invents the mass market.
A vintage-style bar with classic wooden furnishings and ambient lighting.

the

Broadcast : 1920 to 1960

Radio and television enter the home. For the first time, everyone sees the same ad at the same time.
A vintage-style piano with classic design and elegant detailing.

the

Broadcast : 1920 to 1960

Radio and television enter the home. For the first time, everyone sees the same ad at the same time.
A vintage-style piano with classic design and elegant detailing.

the

Broadcast : 1920 to 1960

Radio and television enter the home. For the first time, everyone sees the same ad at the same time.
A vintage-style piano with classic design and elegant detailing.

the

The Measured Web : 1960 – 2025

From the Creative Revolution to the click to the auction. Ideas become data, and attention gets a price.
Woman lying on a golf course ground surrounded by scattered golf balls and a golf club.

the

The Measured Web : 1960 – 2025

From the Creative Revolution to the click to the auction. Ideas become data, and attention gets a price.
Woman lying on a golf course ground surrounded by scattered golf balls and a golf club.

the

The Measured Web : 1960 – 2025

From the Creative Revolution to the click to the auction. Ideas become data, and attention gets a price.
Woman lying on a golf course ground surrounded by scattered golf balls and a golf club.

the

The Conversational AI Age : 2025 - now

The query becomes a dialogue. Advertising gets closer to intent than any medium before it.
Woman drinking a cup of tea while seated and enjoying a quiet moment.

the

The Conversational AI Age : 2025 - now

The query becomes a dialogue. Advertising gets closer to intent than any medium before it.
Woman drinking a cup of tea while seated and enjoying a quiet moment.

the

The Conversational AI Age : 2025 - now

The query becomes a dialogue. Advertising gets closer to intent than any medium before it.
Woman drinking a cup of tea while seated and enjoying a quiet moment.

the

SF — 941

Why

(we)

exist

Our mission

Advertising sits at the intersection of commerce, technology, psychology, and art. Every leap in communication technology produced a new advertising medium within a generation.

Papyrus produced the poster. The press produced the classified. Radio produced the jingle. The browser produced the banner. Each wave rewrote the rules, and each wave was declared the last.

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  • A brown traditional spiral staircase ascending in a classic style.
  • A traditional pillar-style space with umbrella-shaped columns, plants, and a transparent shed roof.
  • A brown traditional spiral staircase ascending in a classic style.
  • A brown traditional spiral staircase ascending in a classic style.
  • A traditional pillar-style space with umbrella-shaped columns, plants, and a transparent shed roof.
  • A brown traditional spiral staircase ascending in a classic style.

Quotes from the

Advertising Hall of Fame

“"The medium is the message.”

“One of the calmest stays
we’ve ever experienced.”

Marshall McLuhan

“A good advertisement is one which sells the product without drawing attention to itself.”

David Ogilvy.

“Marketing is not the stuff you make, but the stories you tell.”

Seth Godin

“Advertising adds value to a product by changing our perception, rather than the product itself.”

“We came for a weekend
and stayed longer.”

Rory Sutherland

Royal-style living room with elegant furniture, ornate décor, and a classic luxurious interior.

SF — 941

A Place Shaped

by where

by where

by where

it Stands

it Stands

Around institutions impacting billions around the world

Set gently within
its natural setting

Between media, technology, and capital

Between nature,
space, and stillness

A drone shot of a hotel from above, showcasing the garden area.A drone shot of a hotel from above, showcasing the garden area.

Heart of innovation in Silicon Valley

Green Valley Estate
Tuscany, Italy

1000 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94109

1000 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94109

The calm of
open surroundings

View on maps
View on maps

One

of 2

Advertising Museums

in the

United States

A vintage-style office with classic furniture and elegant decor.

From

the

Collection

Visit us
Visit us

1000 Van Ness

Light streaming into the room from an open window.
The Eras
A garden courtyard surrounded by buildings.
The Mediums
An antique sofa placed in a classic-style room.
The Makers

Preserving the Past

Inspiring the Future

Advertising is the most visible art form in history and the least examined. This museum gives it the room it has never had. Every generation found a new way to tell us who they were. We preserve those messages, in the city building the next ones.
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An antique sofa placed in a classic-style room.
An antique sofa placed in a classic-style room.
An antique sofa placed in a classic-style room.