And now let’s talk about the development of advertising and advertising agencies in Nigeria. The first Nigerian form of the ad was a town crying. Other types were signs and pictures in caves and on rocks. More or less modern advertising appeared in 1928. At that time, West African Publicity Limited (based on UAC) started its work in Nigeria. It dealt with Nigerian and West African marketing events. Later, the company was transformed into LINTAS.
At the beginning of ad activities in Nigeria, advertising was not coordinated and regulated. A lot of advertisers tried to organize standards of behavior, but the law did not support them. Unfortunately, their efforts were not effective. At the same time, Association of Advertising Practitioners of Nigeria (AAPN) and Advertising Council of Nigerian (ACON) were founded in 1977. In that period, the major part of consumer goods and services promoted in Nigeria had a foreign origin and were insignificant. The advertised goods were for elite consumption and not aimed at the mass market.
With the development of industry and economy, there was an overabundance of goods that had to be sold in large quantities. That contributed to the new types of advertising development using mass media. Ads began to cover vast areas and a huge amount of potential consumers. The development of advertising was promoted by an increase in the number of television and radio stations and printed publications such as newspapers and magazines in the 1960s.
In the later 1970s two successful ad companies: Rosabel Advertising and Insight Communication appeared. They are still leading their business successful. They raised the quality of advertising to a new level and introduced new creative approaches to the promotion of goods and services. By the end of the decade, another two dozen firms were organized. Association of Advertising Practitioners of Nigeria (AAPN) was established in 1973 for protecting the interests and rights of companies involved in the advertising business in Nigeria and abroad as well as setting work rules in the ad market. Later it was renamed to Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN). In 1988, of Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) was organized for ad activities regulating and controlling.
APCON runs the advertising practice via regional associations. They have played important roles in the development of Nigerian advertising for many years. To encourage creativity in advertising, AAAN conducts various awards and Lagos Advertising and Ideas Award festival. READ ALSO Top 10 law firms in Lagos you need to know about In connection with the rapid development of the Nigerian economy in the 1990s, such successful agencies as Prima Garnet, Sotu, Casers, and the next public relation companies: Quadrant JSP and Quest appeared. In 1992, National Advertisers’ Association of Nigeria was formed to patronize all corporative organizations involved in main Nigerian advertising. Later it was rechristened to Advertisers’ Association of Nigeria (ADVAN). Its goal is to unite advertisers and clients of Nigerian business for fruitful cooperation. ADVAN has an executive board and accepted by APCON.
The Outdoor Advertising Association of Nigeria (OAAN) is the official authority for different outdoor advertising firms acting in Nigeria. The organization controls all corporate rights engaged in the activity of Nigerian outdoor advertising. Advertising influences on Nigerian economy positively by stimulating sales and negatively by making unwell competition between branches of industry and companies since its activities beginning in Nigeria up to now. Advertising in Nigeria has knocked some companies out of the game while the others win customers and get more profit with advertising. Such companies are also responsible for an overabundance of consumption.