Lamar Advertising history

1905: Charles W. Lamar, Sr., enters into a partnership with Coe.

When the businessmen dissolved their partnership in 1908, they agreed to divide their assets-the opera house and the advertising company- through a game of coin toss.

By 1912, when Henry Ford introduced the Model-T, the nation had begun its durable love affair with the car.

In 1913, the industry association established an education committee which served to encourage members to donate public service advertising.

The National Outdoor Advertising Bureau (NOAB) was formed in 1915 to serve the needs of advertising agencies and to regularly inspect billboards in the field.

In 1925 the Poster Advertising Association and the Painted Outdoor Advertising Association joined to become the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) combining the interests of posters and bulletins into one association.

1926: Lamar and his two sons, Charles Lamar, Jr., and L.V. Lamar, purchase the Baton Rouge Poster Advertising Co., renaming it Lamar Advertising Co. of Baton Rouge.

Like others in the industry, Lamar was aided by Outdoor Advertising Inc., an organization formed in 1931 to promote billboard sales nationwide.

In February 1934, the industry established the Traffic Audit Bureau or Media Measurement (TAB) to provide advertisers with third party data about outdoor advertising audiences.

In 1942, OAAA introduces the OBIE Awards.

A new period of expansion for Lamar began in 1958 under the leadership of president and CEO Kevin Reilly, Sr.

In 1962, French outdoor company JCDecaux introduced the bus shelter.

Enlisting the aid of Lady Bird Johnson, the industry's gadflies prompted a milestone piece of legislation: the Highway Beautification Act of 1965, a law designed to limit and govern outdoor advertising along 300,000 plus miles of federal highways.

Also in the 1970’s a group of billboard companies commissioned studies at MIT for the painting of bulletins by computer.

In 1973, the original company and its acquired companies, totaling 13, were organized into the Lamar Corporation, a network of affiliates created to provide a central and more efficient system of accounting and management.

In 1975, the Outdoor Advertising, Inc. (OAI) developed a campaign to measure billboards effectiveness.

In 1983, the industry appealed a San Diego anti-billboard ordinance all the way to the US Supreme Court.

Until assuming the presidency, he had served as president of Lamar’s Outdoor Division, starting in 1984.

In 1988, just before Reilly took over the company's reins, it entered the business of fabricating interstate logo signs, winning a contract from the State of Nebraska in Reilly's initial year and eventually expanding to become the principal provider of logo signs in the United States.

Additional Expansion and New Looks: 1989-99

In 1990, OAAA members agree to limit placement of messages that advertise products and services that cannot be sold to minors.

In 1991, OAAA celebrated its Centennial Convention in Washington, DC

A major, industry-wide setback was the steady decline in the billboard advertising of tobacco products, which had begun in 1992.

In 1994, the Institute of Outdoor Advertising, Inc. (OAI) merges with OAAA.

To help finance its purchases and offset its indebtedness, Lamar has used equity sales, the last of which was completed at the end of 1998.

Lamar also has plans for other acquisitions, including the assets of Imperial Outdoor of Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska, scheduled to close in February 1999.

Williamson, Eric, "Louisiana-Based Advertising Company Expands with Augusta, Ga.-Area Purchase," Augusta Chronicle, December 9, 2000.

In August 2001, Lamar announced a trade with its competitor, the Viacom Outdoor Group, in which the two firms would swap outdoor displays.

Dinsmore, Christopher, "Lamar Advertising Acquires Billboard Firm American Outdoor Advertising," Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, Virginia), June 5, 2002.

In 2003, OAAA and TAB joined together to host the first combined Convention.

In July 2004, Lamar purchased 611 displays in 19 states from Olympus Advertising.

In 2005, the first digital billboards were installed.

In 2008, OAAA launched the Committee to Address Responsible Environmental Solutions (CARES)

In 2010, OAAA and TAB joined together permanently to host an annual combined conference.

In 2012, the OOH industry launched a new brand position focused on innovation, ubiquity, and creative impact.

In 2019, OAAA changed its name to the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) to reflect the expanded role and scope of the association in representing the entire OOH industry.