One of the best-selling hair tonics in the world is VASELINE HAIR TONIC for Men,
manufactured by Chesebrough Manufacturing Co. The product had its start in
1859, when Robert Chesebrough visited Penssylvania oil fields and saw residue
called “rod wax” that accumulated on oil rigs. Workers used the waxy substance
to heal cuts and wounds. Chesebrough managed to extract petroleum jelly from
the rod wax and created a medical product out of it which he called VASELINE.
The brand name was coined from the German word for water “wasser” and the Greek word “elaion” or olive oil. From VASELINE
Jelly, the company began expanding to personal line products using the same
ingredient as base. In the 1920s, Chesebrough launched its VASELINE HAIR TONIC, a liquid hair groomer. It was heavily promoted in print ads on the
popular Life Magazine from the late
1920s-1940s, promising to ‘stimulate
circulation, helped to relieve excessive dryness, and keep hir “manageable and
handsome”.
In 1955, Pond’s and the Chesebrough Manufacturing Company
merged to become Chesebrough-Pond’s. By
then, a Philippine affiliate company had been set up, marketing products such
as Pond’s and Angel Face. It ws in 1960 that
Chesebrough-Ponds introduced VASELINE
HAIR TONIC in the Philippines through a series of print ad. At that time
GLO-CO, a local cosmetic company, dominated the men’s hair grooming market with
its Glo-Co Hair Tonix, endorsed by
movies stars as early as the 50s.
To ensure wider usage, VASELINE HAIR TONIC was positioned as a unisex hair grooming
product—good for both men and women. Its
quarter-page ads featured young men and women in various social situations. In
1967, rising young star of sampaguita Pictures--Lito Legaspi—endorsed the brand
as its commercial model.
Vaseline was made by the Chesebrough Manufacturing
Company until the company was purchased by Unilever in 1987.The product
VASELINE HAIR TONIC with scalp Conditioner is still available today.
