advertising agency

American

noun

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

advertising agency British

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of advertising agency

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

Temu has "turned off all their Google Shopping ads in the US" as of 9 April, Mike Ryan, head of e-commerce insights at online advertising agency Smarter Ecommerce, said on LinkedIn.

From BBC • Apr. 17, 2025

Somewhat out of the blue, producer Lee Mendelson got a call from advertising agency McCann-Erickson: Coca-Cola wanted to sponsor an animated Christmas special.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 13, 2024

She’s a big shot at an advertising agency downtown.

From "The Skin I'm In" by Sharon G. Flake

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023