Double Click / Advertising

DoubleClick was a suite of digital advertising technologies developed to help advertisers, agencies and publishers manage, serve and measure display ads across the web. Originally launched in the 1990s and acquired by Google in 2007, DoubleClick became a cornerstone of Google’s advertising ecosystem. In 2018, Google rebranded the platform, folding its tools into what is now known as Google Marketing Platform. Products like DoubleClick for Publishers (DFP) and DoubleClick Bid Manager (DBM) are now called Google Ad Manager and Display & Video 360, respectively.

DoubleClick allowed users to serve ads across websites, manage programmatic campaigns, run real-time bidding and track performance metrics at scale. It supported complex ad trafficking, audience targeting, frequency capping, and detailed reporting. Agencies and advertisers used DoubleClick to control large campaigns across multiple channels and publishers, while media owners used it to optimise their ad inventory and revenue. The platform also integrated with analytics and attribution tools to help teams evaluate ROI and improve ad delivery.

Although the DoubleClick brand is no longer active, its legacy continues through the tools that evolved from it. Today, advertisers use Google Ad Manager to serve and monetise ads on websites and apps, and Display & Video 360 to plan, execute and analyse programmatic campaigns. Understanding the history of DoubleClick is helpful for those working in media buying, performance marketing or ad operations, especially when interpreting older documentation or working across legacy systems.