Among the first brands to take the risk were MCI, Volvo, Club Med, AT&T, and Zima. These companies became pioneers in the new field of digital advertising, without knowing what it would lead to. It’s important to remember that the internet was just beginning to develop at the time, and no one could have predicted that banners would become the foundation for future advertising formats.
For instance, the Volvo ad was simply the company’s logo with a car image—without any call to action or interactive elements that we are accustomed to today. At that time, brands still did not know how to interact with users in this new online space, and some weren’t even interested. Nevertheless, users clicked, and advertisers began to realize that the internet could become a powerful marketing channel.