advertising agency

American  

noun

1. an agency employed by advertisers to plan, design, place, and supervise their advertisements or advertising campaigns.

---

advertising agency British  

noun

1. an organization that creates advertising material, contracts for publication space, and sometimes undertakes market research on behalf of its clients

---

Etymology

Origin of advertising agency

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50

Example Sentences

Not every midsize agency in the Midwest is thriving, and not every large holding company is struggling, said Mollie Rosen, president of member experience for advertising agency trade group the 4As.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 17, 2026

Dan Kim, a creative director at New York advertising agency McCann, has considered leaving his mid-range club, Dumbo House, an outpost of Soho House in Brooklyn.

From Salon • May 30, 2025

Mr Robinson, who runs Hello Starling, a Cardiff-based advertising agency, said vacancies at his business were attracting applications that were riddled with AI-generated sentences.

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2025

He subsequently spent a short, regret-filled period at a San Salvador advertising agency.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2024

After the meeting I met an Irish girl who worked for an advertising agency, a girl who did social work, a schoolteacher, and the wife of a prominent university professor.

From "Black Boy" by Richard Wright