The first television commercial aired in the United States on July 1, 1941. This 9-second spot was for Bulova watches and was broadcast on NBC’s WNBT station before a baseball game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies. The commercial featured a simple visual of a Bulova clock superimposed on a map of the United States with a voiceover stating, “America runs on Bulova time.”
This pioneering advertisement cost Bulova only $9, with $4 spent on airtime and $5 on station charges. At the time, there were approximately 4,000 television sets in New York, meaning the ad reached a relatively small audience.
The simplicity of the ad mirrored the expectations of the time, as television advertising was a new frontier, and audiences were accustomed to print and radio ads.
Sources
History of Sorts 
Leave a comment