A team of scientists claims to have discovered evidence of "brand-marketing" efforts in 3,200-year-old ceramic pieces, making them the earliest known commercial "brands." Potters from Qurayyah, in northwestern Arabia, produced painted pottery with distinctive characteristics over 3,000 years ago in an oasis on the Arabian Peninsula.
Long before logos or trademarks existed, these artisans already used colors such as red and black, the same colors that Christian Louboutin would later use on his famous shoe soles. The archaeological study suggests these potters may have discovered the concept of "brand recognition," much earlier than previously thought possible.
The painted pottery discovered exhibits many of the traits associated with contemporary brands, demonstrating that the principles of product identification and differentiation were already being practiced millennia ago. This new study reveals a sophisticated understanding of marketing by ancient Arab artisans.
