388. HORLICK’S MALTED MILK, 1927-1930 Ads

HORLICK'S PHILIPPINE AD, 1930s

HORLICK’S  is a sweet malted milk hot drink powder developed by British-born founders and brother  James and William Horlick way back in 1873. It was first sold as "Horlick's Infant and Invalids Food," soon adding "aged and travellers" to their label. In 1918, World War I  British soldiers brought it to India, where it achieved popularity as a family drink.

In Britain, HORLICK’S  was a favorite bedtime, while in other markets, it was promoted as a breakfast drink. It was in the 1920s that HORLICK’S MALTED MILK reached the Philippines and hailed as “the drink for all ages”.  HORLICK’S contains extracts of malted barley and wheat, mineral salts and milk, ingredients needed for ideal nutrition.

Early  Phil. HORLICK'S AD, 1927

The primary markets of this imported milk brand were undernourished Filipino children and women who are both beauty and health-conscious. It was sold in glass jars by druggists and leading grocers, and had the backing of doctors and nurses.

 The imported product was available through the next decades. There were even HORLICK’S Malted Tablets what were sold as candy, and which were supplied to the U.S. and UK. Troops as energy-boosting treats during the war. These HORLICK’S Tablets also became available in the country.

HORLICK'S GLASS PREMIUM, 1950a

HORLICK’S came under the ownership of  GlaxoSmithKline (Consumer Healthcare) in Australia, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the U.K. until it was acquired by Unilever in 2018. The icon brand with a rich history is still in production today.

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