System and method for advertising using data network telephone connections

A system and method for providing advertising and advertising services using a telephone system. A data network telephony system includes a commercial message server that communicates with a telephony connection server to communicate commercial messages to display devices on data network telephones. A caller uses the data network telephone to make a telephone call to a callee. The commercial message server receives information about the connection and retrieves commercial messages, or advertisements to communicate to either the caller, the callee or both.