A brand history

1. Search for the brand name by subject using the advanced search function of the search engine. You can find books and other documents related to the brand. If no results are found, try searching for the brand’s advertising campaigns, which can provide insight into its evolution. For this, check the Ads page of the brand.

2. At the library

a) Databases. There are several databases with historical advertising content:

• London International Advertising Award. A compilation of US television and cinema ads from the 1950s to the 1980s.
•  Adforum. A collection of 180,000 ads across all media types (with a focus on television) from more than 110 countries since 2000.

b) Journals. Advertising journals offer information on campaigns, posters, and images. These are located on the 4th floor of the Communication Library and General Newspaper Archives in the communication journals area, and are arranged alphabetically.

• Control. The oldest journal (1963–2012), continued by CTRL : control & estrategias (2013–present).
• Anuncios. (1981–present): Includes a yearbook (Los anuncios del Año) featuring campaigns, which are later expanded in the biweekly publication. This yearbook is also available online. 
• You can also consult the Old Art and Culture Journals (the Marca collection) or ARCA, an archive of old Catalan serials.

c) Newspapers. To find old graphic ads in digital format, we recommend using Press resources from El Quiosc, which allows you to access digitised historic press.

3. On the Internet

• Centro de Documentación Publicitaria. This centre has sections such as the Historical Archive and The History of Advertising, where you can find detailed information on the history of brands.
• Virtual Advertising Galleries. A website with historical advertising databases, such as Ad* Access.

4. More information

• Communication and Mass Media Complete. A database of journal articles where you can find information about international brands.