440. Brand Stories: BIGEN Hair Dye and Hair Coloring Products, 1905

BIGEN HAIR DYE, Japans #1 Hair Color Brand

Commercial hair dye products were known in the Philippines as early as the 1920s, but the one brand that was most popular was BIGEN Hair Dye.

 BIGEN was effective, economical and easy to use—all you need to do is to mix the powder with water, and it’s ready to use to put the black back in your hair. Since BIGEN does not contain hydrogen peroxide, it is also safe and gentle to the hair.

BIGEN, 1967 Ad

BIGEN was created by an unknown Japanese man who concocted the powder hair dye in Nagoya, back in 1905. Eventually, Hoyu Co. Ltd. took over its manufacture. Water-activated. BIGEN 美源, which means "origin of beauty,' became Japan's #1* hair color brand for men and women, and was recognized as an iconic brand in the 1950s.

BIGEN, 1966 Ad

In the early 60s, BIGEN became available in the Philippines, and quickly became a dominant name in the hair dye segment of the haircare market. BIGEN  came in small bottled in a carton package with the graphics of a Japanese woman in kimono—an enduring image for decades, and an iconic part of the brand’s long history.

BIGEN Shampoo-in Hair Color, 1974

The company made modest advertising investments, coming out with small, black and white small ads accompanied with illustrations and stock photographs of Japanese women,

 From basic hair dyes, BIGEN added  hair coloring products for men and women in the 1970s. This was made possible when BICO Industries, based in Valenzuela, Bulacan acquired the license from Hoyu Co. Ltd., to manufacture BIGEN products localy, under supervision by the Japanese company.

By 1975, the BIGEN product line in the Philippines included BIGEN Hair Color for women, in bottles; BIGEN Hair Pencils for retouching eyebrows, BIGEN Jade Shampoo, BIGEN Pink and Blue Lotion, BIGEN Medicated Pomade, and BIGEN Pure Vaseline medicated pomade in bottles and cans.

BIGEN Omnibus Product Ad, 1975

From the 60s thru the 70s, the company made modest advertising investments, coming out with small, black and white small ads accompanied with illustrations and stock photographs of Japanese women, as seen on this spread In the 2000s, BIGEN began advertising on TV,

 WATCH BIGEN TVC from 2017 HERE:

The brand continues to be available in the Philipines, represented to day by BIGEN Philippines, which oversees its sale, marketing and promotions. BIGEN products are available online and in traditional sales outlets such as drugstore, cosmetic, and department stores.

 SOURCES:

Bigen website: https://bigenorigins.com/pages/our-story

Bigen TVC, Biegn Philippines youtube channel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGjKTfb_klo