Photo: Courtesy Bulova Watch Company

1941: First TV commercial
broadcast from NYC

On July 1, 1941, the world’s first television commercial aired on NBC, at that time known as WNBT-TV. The 10-second advertisement for Bulova clocks and watches consisted of the image of a clock and a map of the United States, with a voice-over that announced, “America runs on Bulova time.” The ad was broadcast before a game between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Philadelphia Phillies and cost the Woodside-based company less than ten dollars. Bulova had also broadcast the first radio advertisement in 1926. In 1955, an A.C. Nielsen Co. survey indicated that Americans were exposed to more ads for Bulova timepieces than for any other products. Bulova made broadcasting history again in 1956 when it became a co-sponsor of the “Jackie Gleason Show.” It was the first time a firm of its type had made such a large sponsorship commitment. A still from the Bulova commercial is shown here.

–Cynthia Blair