Now, We're EvolvingIt was baby steps all through the infancy of advertising. Eventually, history hit the middle ages and the earth's population naturally increased and spread out over a larger area. Back then, most folks could not read. Therefore, the shopkeepers began using signs with simple images to advertise their businesses. Ye old boot cobbler would have a sign illustrating a boot, the candlemaker would have a candle on his, and so forth. To further attract business, town criers were employed for open air markets. The criers' vocal advertising let the consumers know where to find the goods. Jump ahead a few hundred years to the 17th century. Now, things are really starting to get modern. More people can read, print has been invented and new forms of advertising are being born. Advertisements were being used in handbills and newspapers for the first time. Mainly they were used for the promotion of books and paper sales and they worked really well. As you may expect, it wasn't long before the "spammers" came along and infiltrated the industry. False advertising abounded and the regulation of ad content came into being. Let's spring ahead 200 more years and into the 19th century. That brings us to the development of mail-order advertising. I imagine that it was big business for a time in history when most people never ventured more than a few miles from home. It probably opened up a whole new world to them. Since this is all supposition on my part, I may as well throw in that it probably took a long time to get the goods. Be that as it may, this was another step in the evolution of a billion plus dollar growth industry. Another item in the 1800's to take note of is the introduction in France of paid advertising in newspapers. What a difference that has played to the ad makers and sellers since then.
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