ADVO was acquired by Valassis in March 2007. The company was founded in 1929 by Paul Siegel, a Hartford, Connecticut entrepreneur who offered door-to-door delivery of local stores' advertising, with his first client being Sears Roebuck & Company. In 1946, ADVO began to mail individual pieces of advertising to select households, venturing into what is now known as "solo mail." From the ‘50s on, ADVO's business boomed, mirroring the rapid growth of new suburban markets. In 1979, ADVO purchased Marriage Mailers of Los Angeles, which led to a concept that would redefine the company for the next generation: Shared Mail. A partnership is formed with the United States Postal Service and the transformation from private carrier delivery to shared direct mail is born.
In 1985, ADVO, in partnership with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children and the United States Postal Service, founded America's Looking For Its Missing Children® Program in which photos of Missing Children are featured on the advertising pieces mailed by the company. The program has since grown to become the most successful private-sector program of its kind. As a direct result of leads generated by its Have You Seen Me?® picture program, 148 missing children have been safely recovered to date.
The close of the acquisition in March 2007 represents a new chapter in the company's history, as it joins with another industry leader to form the nation's largest marketing services company.