Our History

In 1968, advertising professionals in the Tuscaloosa area developed a plan for the establishment of an advertising club.

The club was chartered as the Greater Tuscaloosa Advertising Club in October 1968. The club’s first president was Russ Chapppell of Dan Kilgo & Associates, now Group One and the club boasted an original 33 charter members. Formal meetings were held on the second Tuesday of each month.

Over the years the club has thrived. Our accomplishments include:

• Hosting speaker Ted Turner 

• Having three members elected AAF District 7 governor

• Hosting D7 Leadership Conferences in 1989 and 2017

• Receiving Club Achievement at the national level

• Hosting D7 NSAC in 2023

Early in 1993, the club officially changed its name to Tuscaloosa Advertising Federation. Its name changed once more to the American Advertising Federation Tuscaloosa at the request of the national AAF organization as part of its national branding effort.

AAF Tuscaloosa is an affiliate of the American Advertising Federation, the Unifying Voice for Advertising. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AAF is the trade association representing more than 50,000 professionals in the advertising industry.

Past Presidents