{"id":4965,"date":"2025-01-27T13:16:42","date_gmt":"2025-01-27T20:16:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grinweb.wpengine.com\/blog\/the-history-of-influencer-marketing-how-it-has-evolved-over-the-years\/"},"modified":"2025-10-03T14:10:38","modified_gmt":"2025-10-03T21:10:38","slug":"the-history-of-influencers-and-why-they-matter-in-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grin.co\/blog\/the-history-of-influencers-and-why-they-matter-in-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"The History of Influencers and Why They Matter in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

What does Santa Claus have in common with a Roman gladiator? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, before you let your mind run too wild, how about we just tell you: They have both been a part of successful influencer marketing campaigns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contrary to popular belief, influencer marketing didn\u2019t start around the same time people started posting selfies on social media. It\u2019s actually been around a lot<\/em> longer\u2014millennia longer, even. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s a look at the history of influencer marketing: how influencer marketing was born and what lessons modern-day marketers learned from those who came before them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So when did influencers become a \u201cthing?\u201d <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

105 BCE – 404 CE<\/a>: Ancient Roman billboards<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Mosaic<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Roman gladiator games began in 105 BCE and remained wildly popular until Emperor Honorius outlawed the events in 404 CE. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the most well-attended organized events in ancient Rome, highly anticipated gladiator bouts were often advertised on billboards<\/a> throughout the city. The ancient ads would have looked similar to modern-day combat sports promotions (albeit with much higher stakes). Popular gladiators often rose to celebrity status, even promoting the occasional product like oil or wine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1760: Josiah Wedgwood gets the ultimate celebrity endorsement from Queen Charlotte.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Portrait<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One of the oldest (and possibly most successful) examples of social proof came from a partnership with English potter Josiah Wedgwood and Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. As the queen\u2019s favorite craftsmen and one of the most innovative of his time, Wedgwood convinced the royal family to allow him to bill himself as the \u201cPotter to Her Majesty\u201d<\/a> and even release items depicting the king and queen\u2019s likeness.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The royal bump catapulted Wedgwood to international success and opened the door to numerous other high-profile customers. Even today, the Wedgwood name<\/a> lives on with modern branding that still stays true to the spirit and style of the 18th Century craftsman. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

See Also: Social Proof: What It Is and How to Leverage It for Your Influencer Marketing Campaign<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

1882<\/a>: Lillie Langtry recommends Pears\u2019 Soap<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Pears'
Image via Antipodean<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lillie Langtry was an actress, producer, and the first woman to endorse<\/a> a commercial product when she appeared in an advertisement for Pears Soap in 1882. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to the 19th Century Aesthetics Movement<\/a>, companies began creating more affordable products formerly only accessible to the ultra-wealthy, and advertisers like Thomas Barratt\u2014known to many as the “father of modern advertising”<\/a>\u2014needed recognizable women who could promote them. Known for her “ivory complexion,” Langry met the new demand and established an equally lucrative career in advertising as she did as an actress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1890: Nancy Green becomes the face of Aunt Jemima.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Aunt
Image via<\/em> WBEZ<\/em> Chicago<\/em><\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In 1890, R.T. Davis Milling Company hired Nancy Green as the face of their new pancake mix brand, Aunt Jemima, based on a popular character from a traveling minstrel show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Green gave the Aunt Jemima brand a unique identity that helped make it into a household name that lasted more than a century. Although Green’s character and dedication to the brand helped market the company to generations of consumers, there is evidence to suggest Green saw little to no revenue<\/a> for her efforts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2020, Quaker Oats acknowledged<\/a> Aunt Jemima as a character rooted in racial stereotypes and announced its plans to remove Aunt Jemima from its packaging and change the name of the pancake mix. However, as the Aunt Jemima image fades away, some groups are still working diligently to preserve Nancy Green’s work<\/a> as one of the first Black influencers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1905: Fatty Arbuckle and Murad Cigarettes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Fatty<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Another well-known instance of a celebrity promotion in the history of influencer marketing is that of Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle and his endorsement of Murad<\/a>, a Turkish brand of cigarettes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Legend has it that representatives from the Murad brand tried to convince Arbuckle to actually smoke the cigarettes on stage as part of the deal. But Arbuckle declined, saying he was worried he’d develop a cough or the cigarettes would ruin his voice. He did, however, agree to promote the cigarettes in print.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By this time, people realized that celebrities endorsing products was the next big thing. As such, it was around this time the floodgates opened on the market for celebrity influencers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1931: Santa promotes Coca-Cola.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Santa
Image via USA Today<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Did Coca-Cola give us the plump, friendly image of Santa? It certainly appears so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coke entered the influencer marketing space in 1931 when it introduced Santa Claus as the jolly grandfather figure most imagine today. Before the company’s ad campaign, Santa took many different forms\u2014none of which<\/a> you would feel good about finding in your chimney. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn’t enough for Coca-Cola to simply tell people their beverage was delicious. They needed a spokesperson who people trusted\u2014a sentiment that has only become more relevant today as 92% of consumers<\/a> say they trust recommendations from people they follow on social media rather than advertising directly from brands. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coca-Cola’s ad campaign opened the door for brands to use likable figures to generate a halo effect with influencer marketing. Santa was proof that if people love the person promoting the product, they’ll love the product (and brand) too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

See Also: The Real Definition of Influencer Marketing ROI: The Brand Halo Effect & More<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

1950: The era of the Marlboro Man<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Marlboro
Image via Advertising Principles<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There was hardly anyone cooler in the 1950s than the Marlboro Man. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Various actors portrayed the cigarette icon to help add to his celebrity status. And not only did The Marlboro man make smoking seem trendy and masculine, but he also helped shape and style a generation of men hoping to achieve a more “rugged” look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Marlboro Man was one of the biggest influencers of that time and endorsed the brand until 1999. Today social media influencers have taken the place of icons like The Marlboro man and help set the tone for what’s hot and not in style and fashion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See Also: Top Gen Z Fashion Influencers & Their Style Trend Predictions<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n

2010: The age of the Old Spice Man<\/h3>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n