#LookHowFarWe'veCome

From the perspective of our tweeting times, Fred Maytag's 1957 communications strategy—sending his dealers telegrams to announce the release of a new washing machine—is both eye-opening and nostalgic STOP I can just imagine thousands of swift-footed Western Union fellows being dispatched to mom-and-pop appliance showrooms across the country, bearing the latest product spin STOP On the upside, recipients of Maytag's cables never had to contend with Error 403 notices, jittery animated GIF files or unyielding TOO LONG admonishments STOP