Advertising Then and Now: Comparing Multimedia Reach in 1995 vs. 2025
I still remember the glow of the control room monitors, the scent of hot lights in the studio, and the steady hum of tape decks spinning. It was 1995 — the year I cut my teeth in local TV advertising and production. Back then, our biggest worry was making sure the 30-second spot aired during local primetime. The tools were clunky, the timelines tight, but the craft? That was everything.
I learned from the best — the old-timers who could eyeball a shot, write copy with punch, and hit record with a sense of timing you just can’t teach. They taught me everything: how to sell with sincerity, how to shoot with purpose, and most importantly, how to connect with an audience.
But 2025? This is a whole new world.
Then vs. Now: The Multimedia Evolution
Back in ‘95, “multimedia reach” meant getting your commercial on the local baseball game or Sunday Night Football on ESPN, printing a coupon in the Sunday insert, and maybe putting up a billboard if the budget allowed. There was a beauty to that simplicity — you knew your audience, because half of them were your neighbors. Local meant local.
Now? Your audience could be anywhere — scrolling TikTok in Hoboken, streaming podcasts in Red Hook, or binge-watching YouTube in the Bronx. And reaching them means playing across a dozen platforms at once: video, audio, social, mobile, web, search, and yes — still TV, but in a whole new form.
What Businesses Must Focus on in 2025
Here’s what I’ve learned after three decades in the game: The core of great advertising hasn’t changed — the story still matters. But how you tell it and where you tell it? That’s evolved more in the last 30 years than it did in the 100 before.
Video Is Still King — But the Throne is Crowded: In 1995, TV was the only screen that mattered. Now, video rules phones, tablets, desktops, and smart TVs. Businesses need short-form video for TikTok and Instagram, longer brand stories for YouTube and streaming platforms, and live content for engagement. Don’t just make a commercial — make content people want to share.
Local Still Matters — But It’s Layered: Geotargeting, local influencers, neighborhood hashtags — these are the new ways to “go local.” A pizza shop can reach the whole city on Instagram but still drive foot traffic with a hyper-targeted Facebook ad in a 3-mile radius. It’s still local TV — but smarter.
Data Still Drives the Bus: In ‘95, we guessed and hoped. In 2025, we test, learn, and adjust in real time. If you’re not reviewing your ad metrics weekly, you’re behind. But data shouldn’t just be a performance check. It should be the foundation for building smart and strategic campaigns that can evolve in real time.
The Heart Remains
Sometimes I miss the old way — laying down voiceovers on reel-to-reel, hauling gear into tiny storefronts, or using patch bays to edit commercials with two-finger jog wheels. But I wouldn’t trade the reach we have today for anything. It’s never been easier to tell a story to exactly the people who need to hear it.
Of course, whether it’s 1995 or 2025, navigating the advertising landscape can be complicated. Platforms, formats, data, creative — it’s a lot. That’s why it makes sense to turn to the pros who’ve been doing this since way back when.
The team here at Optimum Media has been in the game for decades, and we’ve grown with the industry every step of the way. We’ve even got a few of those old pros who taught me everything still kicking around — and believe me, nobody does customer service better than we do. To the mentors who taught me how to sell an idea with a smile and a handshake — thank you. You gave me the foundation. To the businesses navigating the 2025 media maze — lean in. Embrace the tools. The goal is still the same: create something that makes people care.
Because whether it’s airing on News 12 or showing up between cat videos and cooking reels, the best ads still feel like they’re speaking just to you.