HISTORY's Moment in Media: The Internet Ad Revolution

In the beginning, there were direct-sold display ads. The first internet banner ad was a direct analogue to a big splashy print ad, and it ran on Wired magazine's site, HotWired.com, on October 27, 1994. It was for AT&T, part of the telecom giant's "You Will" campaign. It was seen as revolutionary back then — making money on the World Wide Web! — but today it feels amazingly old-fashioned.