Library Guides: Journalism Subject Databases and Resources: Advertising and Public Relations Resources

Databases and Resources

AdAge Datacenter
Includes profiles of advertisers and media companies and data on ad spending, agency rankings and markets. To access the Datacenter, click the link in the banner at the top of the Advertising Age homepage.
AdForum
An internationally focused database on different mediums in advertisements, including audio and video. Also provides access to other advertising agency information and news.
Provides access to over 35,000 different advertisements.
Mintel
Includes market research reports for the US. Reports cover a variety of sectors including consumer goods, travel and tourism, financial industry, internet industry, retail, and food & drink. Also included are management and company reports for companies mentioned in the reports. In order to use Mintel, you must first agree to the terms of Mintel Academic Access.
Reports discuss market drivers, market size & trends, market segmentation, supply structure, advertising and promotion, retail distribution, consumer characteristics, and market forecasts. Also included are management and company reports for companies mentioned in the reports.
Free account can be created for personalization.
Date Coverage: 2001-date
Maximum Users: Unlimited
Truncation: Automatic
SimplyAnalytics
Provides over 100,000 data variables for use in creating thematic maps and tables. Data can be viewed by state, congressional district, city, county, ZIP code, census tract or block group. Note: You are not required to create an account. Click “Sign in as a guest” to access. Only create an account if you want to save your work in the system. Please note: You do not need to make an account to access this database.
Winmo
Winmo, formerly RedBooks.com, provides competitive intelligence and prospecting data about the advertising industry. This resource contains information and profiles on thousands of U.S. and international advertisers.
Date Coverage: Current

Maximum Users: 1

Truncation:
NA

Newspaper, Magazine Ads, TV Commercials, PSAs and Awards

AdViews is a Duke University digital archive of thousands of vintage television commercials dating from the 1950s to the 1980s.
Emergence of Advertising in America Another Duke University digital project which presents over 3,300 advertising items and publications dating from 1850 to 1920, illustrating the rise of consumer culture and the birth of a professionalized advertising industry in the United States.

PSA Collection:

Ad Council Website with information and media clips for Public Service Announcements (PSAs).

Other Resources:

AdRespect (formerly The Commercial Closet) - An archive containing over 4,000 LGBT themed ads from around the world going back to 1917, exploring the range of representations of gender and sexuality in print and television advertising. The material represents the best and worst of Madison Avenue's commercial messages, and everything in between.
The Living Room Candidate - Presidential Campaign Commercials 1995-2020

Awards:

Peter Levitan's Top Advertising and Design Awards