363. Brand Stories: ASTRING-O-SOL Mouthwash, Print Ads 1929-1980

ASTRING-O-SOL, "JEANNE YOUNG", 1968 Print Ad

Mouth rinses were not unknown among ancient Chinese, Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. One early mouth was human urine (Romans imported bottled Portuguese urine!), which contains ammonia, believed to disinfect mouth and whiten teeth. Other ptions include the use of tortoise blood, salt-alum-vinegar mis, and pure, cold water to ward of tartar and plaque.

ASTRING O SOL, "MORNING MOUTH", 1929 Print Ads

In 1865 that English surgeon Joseph Lister used an antiseptic to sterilize hs operating room. Inspired by this, Dr. Joseph Lawrence, one of the founders of Johnson & Johnson, developed a mouthwash for cleaning mouths and sterilizing wounds in 18979, naming it Listerine, in honor of Dr. Lister.  Listerine became the first prescription mouthwash in 1914  to be sold over the counter in the United States.

ASTRING O SOL, "MORNING MOUTH", 1929 Print Ad

Not to be outdone, the American pharmaceutical manufacturing giant,  Frederick Stearns & Company (est. 1887, Detroit Michigan) , created ASTRING-O-SOL, the concentrated antiseptic that became part of their dental care line.

ASTRING O SOL COMIC STRIP AD, "ARMANDO" 1956

ASTRING O SOL COMIC STRIP AD, "MYRNA", 1957

ASTRING O SOL COMIC STRIP AD, "LYDIA", 1957

ASTRING-O-SOL contained Myrrh oil (which helps relieve mouth sores and gum inflammation), oil of wintegreesn (which provides germ protection as well as cooling effect), and Zinc chloride (for  pleasant-tasting sensation, hence the “Breath Sweetener” descriptor). Zinc can also limit tartar build up.

ASTRING O SOL "Caressing Sweet", 1960 Strip Ad

The powerful Astringent, Antiseptic and Prophylactic Mouth Wash, which needed t be diluted with water,  was internationally sold by the 1920s, and competed successfully against Listerine. ASTRING-O-SOL’s earliest campaign “Morning Mouth”, gained much popularity among consumers, appearing for the first time on Philippine publications in 1929.

ASTRING O SOL, "Against Bad Breath:, 1969 Color Print Ad

Today, ASTRING-O-SOL  is a registered trademark of the GlaxoSmithKline group of companies, under its GSK Consumer Healthcare Division. With its own manufacturing facility in Cainta, Rizal. GSK continues to bring dental health products and over-the-counter medicines to millions of Filipinos. Other than ASTRING-O-SOL, the company alsmo makes Sensodyne, Aquafresh, Calpol and Dequadin. Advertising is handled locally by Campaigns & Grey. 

ASTRING O SOL, 1980 Print

SOURCES:

Mouthwash, Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mouthwash

GSK Product Portfolio: https://www.gsk.com/media/2508/gsk-consumer-healthcare-brands-portfolio.pdf

 Astring-O-Sol | National Museum of American History: https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1218695