The first banner ad

September 10, 2024

The first banner ad on a website appeared in 1994. Was it for … A.) AOL, B.) Apple, C.) AT&T or D.) Intel?

The answer: C.) AT&T. It created the first-ever banner ad for HotWired, an offshoot of Wired magazine and the first commercial digital magazine. The banner’s call to action was this: “Have you ever clicked your mouse right HERE? You will!” People did, though that didn’t last long. Today, banner ads have about an abysmal 0.1% clickthrough rate.