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| NEW AJAX SUPER LAUNDRY DETERGENT, Intro Ad, 1966 |
Colgate-Palmolive Philippines entered the synthetic
detergent bar market with “Ajax”, a U.S.product
that was already in existence in 1947 as a powder cleanser brand. At the
time of the introduction of Ajax Super Detergent, detergent soaps included
Perla, Wheel and Luto.
Ajax Super Detergent was touted as a revolutionary laundry
product that was “stronger, more economical than soaps and powders. It was also
different in that it had super sudsing dirt cleaners and a Bluex formula in a convenient bar form.
Source: RedStormPro-Retro-Ajax Commercial
Stronger than Dirt
For its 1966 launch advertising in the Philippines, Ajax
adapted elements from the U.S. campaign of Ajax Ultramarine Detergent that
featured the iconic “Ajax Knight” and the cleaning power of his lance that was
“stronger than dirt”.
Source: juniorsky52's channel. Ajax History 1960-80
The localized Philippine version featured different
vignettes of dirtying situations—for example, children playing in the streets
with dirty clothes—that become “blinding white” at the touch of a lance toted
by the horse-riding Ajax Knight who always seemed to appear from nowhere. The
selling line “New Ajax Super Detergent—Stronger Than Dirt” was set to music which
was soon being sang, hummed or whistled by happy housewives all over the
Philippines! Ajax continued to be popular from the 60s through the 90s as this
historical advertising reel shows:
Actually, Ajax Detergent Bar continued to gain mass popularity among Filipino housewives even until the late 90's; its last TV commercial featured Dolphy promoting Ajax Total All-in-One in 1997.
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