Embodiments of the innovation relate to, in an identification server device, a method of creating an advertisement identifier for a digital advertisement. The method comprises receiving an image file of the digital advertisement from an advertiser server device; converting the image file of the digital advertisement to a textual file; executing a hashing algorithm on the textual file to generate the advertisement identifier associated with the digital advertisement, the advertisement identifier being unique to the image file of the digital advertisement; transmitting the advertisement identifier to the advertiser server device for association with the digital advertisement; and storing the advertisement identifier on a publicly-accessible advertisement identifier database.