author
J. Walter Thompson Company
One of the most influential names in advertising, this pioneering agency helped shape modern marketing from the late 19th century onward. Its story runs from early newspaper space buying to global brand-building, ending in a series of mergers that folded the company into newer WPP agencies.
1 Audiobook
Things to Know About Trade-Marks: A Manual of Trade-Mark Information
by J. Walter Thompson Company
About the author
Founded in 1864 as the Carlton and Smith Agency, the business later took the name of James Walter Thompson, who joined in 1868 and bought the company in 1877. Over time, it grew into J. Walter Thompson, often known as JWT, and became one of the best-known advertising agencies in the world.
The company is widely remembered as an early force in modern advertising. Sources describe it as a pioneer in building a global agency network, and its long history is closely tied to the rise of brand advertising in the United States and beyond.
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the company became part of WPP. In 2018, J. Walter Thompson was merged with Wunderman to form Wunderman Thompson, and later restructuring by WPP brought that legacy into newer successor agencies. Even though the original company name has disappeared, its influence on the advertising business remains significant.