410. Brand Stories: DR. WEST’S TOOTHBRUSH, Philippine Ads 1929-1961

AN EARLY 1929 DR. WEST'S TOOTHBRUSH Print Ad, Graphic Magazine

DR. WEST’S –a name that originated from West Products Company--became a byword in dental hygiene when, in 1938, the company introduced the world’s first nylon toothbrush—the DR. WEST’S Miracle Tuft Tootbrush. But the globally popular brand was already in existence since 1921,  when the Chicago-based company, launched its DR. WEST’S Toothbrush with the health curve, that follows the curved angles of the mouth for better cleaning. These toothbrushes and their subsequent variants were known and sold  as WESCO Products.

1924 DR. WEST'S with Health Curve

Less than a decade after its introduction, DR. WEST’S Toothbrush brands were being sold in the Philippines, available at local druggists. These early toothbrushes were still being made with ”choice, carefully-selected bristles” from animal hair, like boars and pigs.

1929 DR. WEST'S TOOTHBRUSH Philippine Ad

The West Products Company changed all that in 1938, when it launched the orange coloured, medium size, Dr. WEST’S Miracle Tuft Toothbrush. Originally released in February 1938, this toothbrush was the first successful commercial application of nylon, marketed as the DuPont 'Exton' bristle.

DR. WEST'S GERM-FIGHTER AD, 1959

In October 1938, the West Products Company, Chicago rolled out  an intensive national advertising campaign for its new toothbrush with the Dupont-made synthetic bristles. The ads communicated 4 benefits:  ‘No bristle shedding, 100 percent waterproofed, longer life, greater cleaning power.’ The value of oral hygiene was underscored when DR. WEST’S Toothbrushes were included in the personal kits of soliders  who served during World War II.

DR. WEST'S Color Ad, 1961

When WECO's exclusive franchise with Dupont  on the use of the bristles expired in 1940, other manufacturers began to make nylon bristled toothbrushes. By the 1950s, almost 80% of all toothbrushes had synthetic bristles. DR. WEST’s Tootbrushes were advertised until the 1960s in Philippine magazines.  The 1961 colored ad played up on the different color handles available to make brushing with the germ-fighting DR. WEST’S Toothbrush more fun and appealing.

There is no information available about the closure of the West Products Co. business,  Today, there are Dr. West (not West’s) toothbrushes being made in China and Oman, but these are not in any way, connected with the original DR. WEST’S Toothbrush of West Products Co.

SOURCES:

1924 Dr. West’s print Ad, ebay.com

Dr. West’s ad,  Life Magazine ,Nov. 21, 1938 issue.

History of the Modern Toothbrush, by White Dental Studio | Oct 12, 2015 |, https://mywhitedental.com/toothbrush-history/

385. CHARMIS BODY SPRAY, Colgate-Palmolive 1987

The brand name CHARMIS was registered by Colgate-Palmolive Peet Company as early as the 1950s, and it was the same name that they use for a new, distinctive product that combined cologne and deodorant: CHARMIS BODY SPRAY.

 In 1987, CHARMIS BODY SPRAY was launched in the Philippines with much fanfare. Initially, 3 variants were produced: Innocence (yellow spray bottle), Romance (pink) and Sporty (green). The intro commercial featured the beauty queen Sabrina Artadi (Bb. Pilipinas International 1985) and her chance encounter with a handsome man in a party, thanks in part to the irresistible scent of CHARMIS. “Fragrance all over…Freshness all day, everyday”—so went the selling line, which successfully induced Filipino ladies to try the new brand, in the hopes of becoming as irresistible as Sabrina.

 WATCH CHARMIS 1987 LAUNCH TV AD HERE:

(Source: Charmis Phils. uploaded Oct. 26. 2020)

CHARMIS BODY SPRAY proved to be a big hit, and had its heyday in the late 80s thru the 1990s. New variants were added to attract a growing market: Frenzy (orange), Bebe (baby pink), Preppy (violet/purple), Kiss (red) and Pizzazz (blue).

 A powder cologne line was developed in 1988. In 1991, a commercial directed at teens, starring then rising actress-singer Janet Arnaiz was produced , which spawned a memorable “Hello, Goodbye” jingle. That same year, a portable CHARMIS in a Pentad bottle was produced, aimed at the young, mobile teen segment.

 WATCH CHARMIS 'Can't Resist' (1991) TVC HERE:

uploaded by Charmis Phils. Oct. 26, 2020 

CHARMIS had a good run, but it seems that the parent company was not keen on the product as by 3 November 1992, the CHARMIS trademark expired and was not renewed. In June 2017, ITC of India (formerly the Imperial Tobacco Company of India, Ltd.) acquired the CHARMIS brand, as it attempted to expand its non-cigarette profitability. Today, CHARMIS is the brand name for its line of face washes and applications such as tan removal, day cream, anti-ageing and moisturizing lotions.

SOURCES:

USPTO Report: https://uspto.report/TM/71603768

“ITC betting on Charmis to gain skincare space:, the Economic Times, https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/cons-products/fashion-/-cosmetics-/-jewellery/itc-betting-on-charmis-to-gain-skincare-space/articleshow/61474056.cms

Charmis TVC 30s 1980s: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztk8-912Imk, Charmis Philippines , Oct. 26, 2020.

Charmis Powder Cologne "Pow Wow" 15s - 1988, Philippines, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgTWZ11XMhw, uploaded by vibesey, Oct. 27, 2017

Charmis Body Spray with Janet Arnaiz "Can't Resist" TVC 50's 1990-1991, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15AEWE3hJN4, by Charmis Philippines, 26 Oct. 2020

360. Brand Stories: HENO DE PRAVIA Soap, Print Ads 1960s-80

HENO DE PRAVIA, Print Ad, 1974

One of the more prized soaps in the world are those made in Spain, and some brands like Maja enjoyed worldwide success, like Maja by Myrurgia , a favorite soap brand in 1930s Philippines.

In the late 60s, another Spanish made soap made its appearance in the Philippines and had a long, successful run as a beauty soap with “fragrance that leaves a little bit of you behind”: HENO DE PRAVIA.

The green soap in the familiar yellow and white package was a product of Perfumeria Gal, which produced the soap in 1905. The soap came into existence when one of the company's founders, Salvador Echeandia, traveled to Pravia in 1903, a northern Spanish village, where he went to sell his company's products. He arrived while farmers were busy cutting “heno”, a grass used as fodder for livestock, and its aroma captivated him. 

HENO DE PRAVIA, Print Ad, 1968

Upon his return to Madrid he reproduced the fragrance of the “heno” grass and blended it with geranium, lavender and a hint of sandalwood. He marketed the soap as HENO DE PRAVIA, and in tribute to its derivation, made the bar mossy green, and wrapped it in yellow, the color of “heno” when it dries.  HENO DE PRAVIA became  Spain's best-selling soap, and its name has become a household word there.

HENO DE PRAVIA, Family 1, Print Ad, 1980

In the 1960s, HENO DE PRAVIA made its appearance in the Philippine market, and was promoted on the basis of its fragrance and credentials, having won awards in London, Paris and Madrid. Its first advertising print ad featured Filipina models, butw hen the agency, J.Romero & Associates took over, the ads featured Hispanic beauties and Castilian-type models, in keeping with the soap’s origin.

HENO DE PRAVIA, Print Ad, 1974

HENO DE PRAVIA, which caims to be still the no.1 beauty soap in the world, manufactured by Perfumeria Española Corp., a joint venture of  Perfumeria Gal with CIP. The brand is still available in the Philippines today, distributed by JDH Zuellig Inchcape Inc. It is also sold on online stores like Lazada and Shopee.

HENO DE PRAVIA, Family 2, Print Ad, 1980

SOURCE: Spanish Shop Online: https://www.spanishoponline.com/heno-de-pravia.html

352. Pitoy Moreno, "Asia's Fashion Czar" for BAN ANTI-PERSPIRANT, 1974

JOSE 'PITOY' MORENO FOR BAN ANTIPERSPIRANTS, 1974

BAN ROLL-ON DEODORANT was a deodorant brand developed by Bristol Myers Co., that was launched with a revolutionary packaging—a rol-on dispense. Bristol-Myers had acquired the makers of Mum deodorant--Mum Manufacturing Co.—and had wanted to add an antiperspirant brand to its product line.

The result was an effective antiperspirant packaged in a dispenser modeled on the ball-point pen mechanism that was earier desined by employee Helen Leah Diserens (1919-2008). It came out under the name Mum Rolette in 1952, but problems with the applicator caused it to be removed from the market. 

After extensive product and packaging improvement, the anti-perspirant was reintroduced in the U.S. as BAN ROLL-ON in 1955, with massive advertising and marketing support for its national roll-out.

It would take almost 2 decades before BAN ROLL-ON was introduced in the Philippines, and the fashionable ads made use of the “fashion czar of Asia”—Jose “Pitoy” Moreno as an endorser, supported by the appearance of top models Ping Valencia and Eva Reyes, also Miss Republic of the Philippines-World 1972.

The connection between body odor and fashion was explained in the copy:“Perspiration marks can ruin even the most fashionable look…BAN stops perspiration effectively---no sweat to ruin your style”.

PITOY MORENO / PING VALENCIA, BAN ROLL-ON AD, 1974

The uppity-looking ads complemented the premium price of BAN, which, aside from the Roll-On, included  a Dry BAN Cream. To underscore the importance of its flagship product, the campaign ended with the tagline “BAN. America’s No. 1 Roll-On Antiperspirant”, to appeal to the target’s sense of colonial mentality.

PITOY MORENO / EVA REYES, BAN ROLL-ON AD, 1974

BAN slipped into obscurity towards the end of the 70s decade, and the BAN products available in the market today are made by Kao Brands Co. As for Pitoy Moreno, he was accorded a National Artist Award by Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, only to be revoked by the Supreme Court in 2013 after finding that it had been given without due process as stipulated by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

PITOY MORENO / EVA REYES, BAN ROLL-ON AD, 1975

SOURCES: 

Ban website: https://www.bandeodorant.com/en-us/

Deodorant History and its invention: http://omenter.com/deodorant-history/#:~:text=The%20small%20company%20was%20bought,the%20name%20Ban%20Roll%2DOn.

Pitoy Moreno, Wikimedia.com, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitoy_Moreno

295. Brand Stories: MUM, The First Commercial Deodorant Brand, Print Ads 1959-1975

MUM, the 1st Commercial Deodorant Brand in the World, 1888

.The first commercial deodorant brand in the world is MUM Cream Deodorant, developed and created in Philadelphia back in 1888. It was a barrier-breaking personal hygiene product made with zinc compound, an active ingredient which chemically neutralizes odoriferous compounds and inhibits bacterial growth in a non-irritating way.

MUM "OUGHT TO BE TOLD" Campaign, 1959

The brand name "mum" means "to keep silent" as in the popular phrase and early on, it was sold in white, shallow cream jars. The user was advised to “apply MUM on underarms or other skin areas. For best results, smooth on gently until it disappears. Harmless to clothing and skin—can be used after shaving.Bristol-Myers bought the small company in 1931, and took MUM to greater heights and international popularity. 

MUM,"SHE FEELS CONFIDENT", 1960

MUM Cream Deodorant was launched in the Philippines towards the end of the 1950s, exclusively distributed by the Edward Keller  Co. & Ltd. with offices in Juan Luna St., Binondo. Advertising played aan integral part of its Philippine marketing, as the brand was actively advertising in the 1920s-40s.

 

MUM "Make Everybody Glad to See You", 1961

The first hand-illustrated print ads of MUM Cream Deodorant began appearing on the widely read Sunday Times Magazine in late 50s, primarily targeted to adult women and secondarily,  men. The print ad series utilized the original campaign theme “She/He ought to be told..”.

MUM ROLLETTE, 1959

In 1952, Bristol-Myers originated a roll-on applicator with deodorant lotion, sold under the brand name BAN Roll-On, available in 1954.  The same roll-on product was introduced in the Philippines as MUM Rollette, and the new “no mess, no drip, no waste” packaging was advertised locally in 1959 to wide consumer acclaim.

In no time at all, MUM was enjoying wide popularity in the country, challenged by a few deodorants like the fast-rising VETO and Odor-O-No. MUM was available in the Philippines throughout the 60s and 70s, and had its share of memorable TV advertising, one of which was the “MUM-yayakap” (“Hugger”) campaign. 

YOUNG LORNA TOLENTINO, FOR MUM, 1975

The rise of new deodorant aerosols, and alternative body sprays catering to the young market (Baan, Right  Guard, Impulse) , pushed MUM away from the shelves, as held an image as a feminine brand for adult women.  Tactical campaigns were launched to make MUM more appealing to the youth, thru redesign of the packaging and logo, and mother-daughter advertising.  By the 1980s, MUM was on its way out of the Philippine market until it disappeared altogether.

 In 2004, Doetsch Grether AG  (Pharma/ OTC/ Consumer Care) took over the license for  MUM and now market the brand for for Europe,  Middle East and 2017, Australia and New Zealand. In U.K. MUM is made by Dendron Ltd,under license from Procter & Gamble.

SOURCES:

Doetsch Grether AG , https://www.doetschgrether.ch/en/brands/m_53

Dendron Ltd. :https://www.mumdeo.co.uk/

MUM,Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mum_(deodorant)

The Sunday Times Magazine