Instagram ran its very first ad on November 1, 2013. Michael Kors, one of the premium brands the team had lined up, was allowed to post a photo on the @michaelkors account and then pay to distribute it to people who weren’t already following. The image looked like it was straight out of a glossy lifestyle shoot in a fashion magazine: a gold watch with diamond trim, placed on a table surrounded by a gold-rimmed teacup and colorful French macarons.
