American Advertising Museum
Encyclopedia
The American Advertising Museum was a museum in downtown Portland, Oregon
, United States
. Founded in 1986, the museum displayed advertising from the 18th century to the present day. The museum featured both permanent and traveling exhibits on advertising campaign
s, industry icons, and advertising in general. There was also a library and gift shop before it closed by the end of 2004.
’s father, was also one of the founding directors of the museum. It opened on June 26 of that year in the Erickson Saloon building and was initiated by the Portland Advertising Federation. At the time it was the only museum in the world devoted solely to advertising. For a time from 1995 to 1996 the museum was located on the city’s Eastside.
In 1996, the museum moved to a location in Portland’s Old Town district
. The PBS show Antiques Roadshow
featured the museum in a 1999 episode. In 2000, the William F. Eisner Museum of Advertising & Design
museum opened in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, and the AAM was no longer the only museum to focus exclusively on advertising. The museum relocated to the Chinatown district in 2001. In 2003, the HMH ad agency won an ADDY
award for their design for the museum’s stationery. By February 2004 the Eisner Museum acquired the AAM collections as an exchange for paying the debts owed by the American Advertising Museum. and the museum closed.
Diving Girls once featured at places such as Jantzen Beach Amusement Park
and Portland’s PGE Park
. Last located on NW Fifth Avenue, the museum contained a gift shop featuring advertising themed merchandise.
Exhibits included displays on Coca-Cola
, political campaigning, Cream of Wheat
ads, a homage to bad advertisements, and women in advertisements among others.
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Founded in 1986, the museum displayed advertising from the 18th century to the present day. The museum featured both permanent and traveling exhibits on advertising campaign
Advertising campaign
An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication...
s, industry icons, and advertising in general. There was also a library and gift shop before it closed by the end of 2004.
History
Mick Scott with Leonard W. Lanfranco’s assistance, opened the museum in 1986. Homer P. Groening, Matt GroeningMatt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
’s father, was also one of the founding directors of the museum. It opened on June 26 of that year in the Erickson Saloon building and was initiated by the Portland Advertising Federation. At the time it was the only museum in the world devoted solely to advertising. For a time from 1995 to 1996 the museum was located on the city’s Eastside.
In 1996, the museum moved to a location in Portland’s Old Town district
Old Town Chinatown, Portland, Oregon
Old Town Chinatown is a neighborhood in the Northwest section of Portland, Oregon. The Willamette River forms its eastern boundary, separating it from the Lloyd District and the Kerns and Buckman neighborhoods...
. The PBS show Antiques Roadshow
Antiques Roadshow
Antiques Roadshow is a British television show in which antiques appraisers travel to various regions of the United Kingdom to appraise antiques brought in by local people. It has been running since 1979...
featured the museum in a 1999 episode. In 2000, the William F. Eisner Museum of Advertising & Design
William F. Eisner Museum of Advertising & Design
The William F. Eisner Museum of Advertising & Design, or The Eisner, is a one of a kind advertising museum located in Historic Third Ward in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.- Description :...
museum opened in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, and the AAM was no longer the only museum to focus exclusively on advertising. The museum relocated to the Chinatown district in 2001. In 2003, the HMH ad agency won an ADDY
Addy Awards
The ADDY Awards is the world's largest advertising competition with over 50,000 entries annually. Founded in Florida in 1960 it was adopted by the American Advertising Federation, a not-for-profit industry association, as a national competition in 1968....
award for their design for the museum’s stationery. By February 2004 the Eisner Museum acquired the AAM collections as an exchange for paying the debts owed by the American Advertising Museum. and the museum closed.
Features
The American Advertising Museum had a library, a rare books collection, manuscripts from national advertising campaigns, and a gallery of prints of historic ads. Their exhibits included displays on icons from the advertising world, “Aunt Jemima Meets Mr. Peanut,” and displays from a permanent collection featuring advertising from as early as the 18th century. Additionally, it had one of the six original JantzenJantzen
Jantzen is a brand of swimwear that was established in 1916 and first appeared in the city of Portland, Oregon, United States. The brand name later replaced the name of the parent company that manufactured the branded products...
Diving Girls once featured at places such as Jantzen Beach Amusement Park
Jantzen Beach
Jantzen Beach Amusement Park was a popular amusement park from 1928 to 1970 in Portland, Oregon, on Hayden Island in the middle of the Columbia River. "The Coney Island of the West" opened on May 26, 1928 as the largest amusement park in the nation, covering over at the northern tip of...
and Portland’s PGE Park
PGE Park
Jeld-Wen Field is an outdoor sports stadium located in Portland, Oregon, United States that is used primarily for soccer and American football...
. Last located on NW Fifth Avenue, the museum contained a gift shop featuring advertising themed merchandise.
Exhibits included displays on Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
, political campaigning, Cream of Wheat
Cream of Wheat
Cream of Wheat is a porridge-type breakfast food invented in 1893 by wheat millers in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The cereal is currently manufactured and sold by B&G Foods. Until 2007, it was the Nabisco brand made by Kraft Foods. It is similar in texture to grits, but made with farina instead...
ads, a homage to bad advertisements, and women in advertisements among others.