author
J. Walter Thompson Company
A powerhouse in modern advertising, this agency helped shape how brands spoke to the public for more than a century. From early magazine space brokerage to global campaigns, its story tracks the rise of advertising itself.
1 Audiobook
Things to Know About Trade-Marks: A Manual of Trade-Mark Information
by J. Walter Thompson Company
About the author
Founded in New York in 1864 as the Carlton & Smith Agency, the business that became J. Walter Thompson Company began as a broker of advertising space in religious publications. James Walter Thompson joined the firm as a bookkeeper, later bought it in 1878, and shifted its focus toward creating advertising rather than simply selling space.
Under later leaders including Stanley Resor, the company became one of the most influential names in the industry. It was known for expanding research-driven advertising and for helping professionalize the business, especially as national brands and mass-market magazines grew in importance.
The company was acquired by WPP in 1987. In 2018, J. Walter Thompson merged with Wunderman to form Wunderman Thompson, marking the end of the historic JWT name as a standalone agency.