Infographic: A history of PR campaigns

Did you know that in the 1800s, P.T. Barnum used ‘PR agents’ to promote his circus? And that the first modern press release was issued in 1906? And that—oh, just read on.

Ragan Insider Premium Content
Ragan Insider Content

What you—and they—might not even know is that the whole idea of a balanced breakfast of bacon ‘n’ eggs was a product of more than just pigs and chickens. It took a survey of more than 5,000 doctors in the early 1920s by public relations pioneer Edward Bernays to convince Americans that a hearty protein-rich meal was recommended first thing in the morning.

In fact, from 1919 until 2011, egg production has skyrocketed from 1.6 billion to an Egg McMuffin-worthy 6.5 billion.

Seems all of us country breakfast lovers owe PR a debt of gratitude. But eggs aren’t the only industry or brand to campaign its way to the top through public relations.

To read the full story, log in.
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today

Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.