Old Google ad from 1999 resurfaces and people are pointing out how it has aged like milk

The world of advertising, especially in tech, has seen some incredible transformations over the years. The days when the internet was invented were very different and companies advertised their products quite differently. Back then, Google was just beginning to emerge as a search engine, slowly establishing its presence on the web. A post shared on Reddit showcases a Google ad from 1999, reminding us how much has changed in advertising and technology over the years. The post has gained 12K upvotes and 260 comments on the platform.

The ad for Google seems to be from a magazine and appeals to a very different level of readers. While many of us now would like a search engine tailored to the information we consume daily, people back then needed something very different. The ad describes Google as a "pure search engine." It meant that it had no bells and whistles in providing the user with weather updates, news feeds, sponsor links or anything else that would be considered "distracting."

The short and straightforward ad concludes by saying, "Nothing but a fast-loading search site. Reward them with a visit." Users on the platform found it amusing to see such a vintage ad from Google, highlighting how much they had changed their search engine to what we know it to be today. u/Senior-Lettuce-5871 commented, "No ads? No sponsored links? How marvelous. I'll have to try this newfangled thing." u/Doogers7 expressed, "Oh, the early days of Google; so clean and great results. People were excited to use it."

One user commented, "r/agedlikemilk," hinting at how Google's agenda had soured once it became a big corporate company. Another individual, u/Rocket_Philosoper, sarcastically said, "2024 Google ad: Google (www.google.com) is a cluttered search engine—weather, news feeds for you! We even have links to our sponsors and they push down what you need. Ads are a must and they're everywhere; just don't use an ad blocker. It still loads fast. Here's your 3.5 million results."

Google has integrated itself into our daily lives, yet we seldom pause to consider how its distinctive name came to be. The search engine was the brainchild of Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who met while attending Stanford University in the mid-90s. At the time of creation, they chose to call it "Backrub." According to Business Insider, the name came about as a result of how the search engine utilized backlinks. Brin and Page realized that they could not keep using this name as it did sound very professional and they began to think about other names they could use.

The pair eventually settled on the name "Google," drawing inspiration from the mathematical term "googol," which is a term used to refer to the number that contains one followed by a hundred zeroes, according to The Mirror. They felt this term was suitable for the search engine since they wanted to provide users with a never-ending trove of information. In the brainstorming session, a student participating in the process accidentally spelled "googol" as "Google." However, Page and Brin chose to proceed with it and the rest became history.