The Super Bowl this year was no different than the ones of the past; the game itself does matter, but for the general public and the many that don’t follow the NFL regularly, watching the ads prepared especially for this event might be a bit more interesting.

Just thinking about the money and time put into these seconds of product advertisement is astonishing. Often, just by making it known that the company was willing to spend $4.5 million for a 30-second slot (an astonishing 666% rise from 1987 prices) serves as excellent advertisement on its own.

But the creativity and star power just gets bigger, brighter and often better. It’s not just one ad. The commercial-arc is something that began almost 30 years ago and is becoming more and more popular, at least for those who know how to do it well.

Budweiser began with it in 1987, giving us a mini-series through the game. Wix did it this year, using a lot of football star power to help bring their point across. The money they put into it helped as well.

But words don’t do justice to the explanation of this phenomenon and its evolution. This Visual.ly infographic designed by Lane Kinkade brings the point across much better.