Mashable Business posted a really interesting article this week titled "The Evolution of Advertising: From Stone Carving to the Old Spice Guy". The article discussed a beautiful illustrated timeline, originally created by Infolinks.

The graphic is too large for me to repost here, so you'll have to click over to check it out.

Here are a few of my favorite parts:



2,000 responses out of 8,000 mailers?! That's an insane response rate!



This blurb really surprised me. I would have thought contests were used long before the 1950s. I'm also intrigued by the oil well prize. I wonder how the value of a well in 1950 compares to one today.


Oh, Britney Spears, how times have changed. Advertising may endure through the ages, but celebrity fame... does not.