416. Strikingly Similar: BRYLCREEM and GARD Ads, 1978

BRYLCREEM AND GARD Hairdressing, 1978

BRYLCREEM was created back in 1928 by an English company--County Chemicals—in Birmingham, England, and owned for the longest time by Beecham. The hairdressing cream was actually and emulsion of water and mineral oil, stabilized with beeswax. When applied to hair, it provides a brilliant shine—hence the roduct name, BRYLCREEM.

GARD Liquid Hairdressing, on the other hand is a product extension of GARD Anti-Dandruff Shampoo, made by Colgate-Palmolive. It was introduced in the Philippines in the mid 1970s, thanks to a commercial that featured a character called “Charlieng Balakubak” (Dandruff Charlie), portrayed by Ramon Roco. It was thought that by riding on GARD’s strong “hair” equity, the liquid hairdressing product would be destined for success.

These 2 ads of BRYLCREEM and GARD have uncanny similarities, looking almost like they were created by one art director, working in one ad agency, to wit:

·         Both print ads came in what they call then as “plus one color”ad—BRYLCREEM had plus Blue, while GARD had plus Red.

·         The additional colors were applied on both the product shots (which, by the way, were both line drawings)  and the brand name.

·         Both employed head shots of male models (GARD’s model—Aldie Anido (+)—had a higher popularity quotient though).

·         Both ads appeared on the same magazine (Woman’s Home Companion) as Full Page Ads, and both came out in 1978.

It’s a different story when talking about product longevity. The similarities end here. That’s because, today, BRYLCREEM Hairdressing is still very much around after 95 years, while GARD Liquid Hairdressing floundered in the market until its extinction.