A regional advertising group based on the American West Coast that was formed to protect and promote the advertising trade, and uphold high industry standards. The Advertising Association of the West's predecessor organization, the Pacific Coast Advertising Men's Association, was formed in 1904 by the amalgamation of a number of local advertising clubs. The AAW and the Advertising Federation of America (AFA), its East Coast counterpart, worked separately until 1967 to raise advertising standards through self-regulation and education.
In 1967, the AAW and AFA merged to create the American Advertising Federation (AAF), the unifying voice for advertising in the U.S. The AAF is the oldest national advertising trade association in the U.S., representing over 40,000 advertising professionals as of 2011.