Barbasol

Last updated
Barbasol
Barbasol-Logo.png
TypeShaving cream
ManufacturerBarbasol LLC
Country of origin United States
Introduced1919;105 years ago (1919)
VariantsOriginal, Soothing Aloe, Sensitive Skin, Arctic Chill, Pacific Rush, Mountain Blast, Skin Conditioner and Therapeutic
Website barbasol.com

Barbasol is an American brand of shaving cream, aftershave, and disposable razors created by MIT Professor Frank Shields in 1919 in Indianapolis. It is currently owned by Perio, Inc. [1]

Contents

Invention

MIT Professor Frank Shields set out to create a product that would provide for a less irritating shave. In 1919, he succeeded with the invention of Barbasol – a shaving cream that did not have to be worked into a lather. The original formula was a thick lotion that was still manufactured until 2019 when Barbasol 1919 Classic Shaving Cream replaced it.

Overseas Special for members of the Military supplied by Barbasol Overseas Special for members of the Military supplied by Barbasol.jpg
Overseas Special for members of the Military supplied by Barbasol

Brand history

Photo of new Barbasol can design Barbasol Original 10oz sm.jpg
Photo of new Barbasol can design

Napco Corporation

Barbasol was first manufactured under the Napco Corporation name, a company Frank Shields started before inventing Barbasol. After the shaving cream sales increased, they outgrew Napco, and The Barbasol Company was created.

The Barbasol Company

Frank Shields established The Barbasol Company in 1920, which owned the brand for 42 years. In the mid-1950s, design engineer Robert P. Kaplan of Rochester, NY invented and patented the first aerosol shaving cream can, and the Barbasol Company changed the formula from the thick cream in a tube to the soft, fluffy foam familiar in the aerosol cans today. The can design mimicked a barber's pole, and is still the trademark design used today.

Pfizer

In 1962, Pfizer bought The Barbasol Company and brought Barbasol into the portfolio. During this time, they developed many additional versions of Barbasol to complement the original formulation, including Soothing Aloe, Skin Conditioner, Sensitive Skin, Extra Protection, Cool Menthol and Lemon Lime.

As gels became popular, Pfizer created gel versions of Barbasol in the Original, Soothing Aloe, Sensitive Skin, and Extra Protection varieties.

In the 1980s, Pfizer made Barbasol Glide Stick, a deodorant.

By the 1990s, Barbasol brand equity had diminished. Sales had slowed. Pfizer, primarily a pharmaceutical company, looked to sell the brand.

Perio, Inc.

Perio, Inc. headquarters in Dublin, Ohio Perio Inc. (Dublin, Ohio) - headquarters.jpg
Perio, Inc. headquarters in Dublin, Ohio

Perio, Inc., based in Dublin, Ohio, bought the Barbasol brand from Pfizer in 2001, [2] and has sought to revitalize it. They consolidated the Barbasol line to Original, Soothing Aloe, and Skin Conditioner, and added Pacific Rush.

A non-aerosol cream that simulated the original product was created in 2003, but it was reformulated to the Barbasol Non-Aerosol Therapeutic Shave Cream in 2006 (Pfizer also had a similar simulation of the original Barbasol cream, but discontinued it in 1999). This was discontinued in 2019 and replaced by the 1919 Classic Shaving Cream for the brand's 100th anniversary.

Later, Barbasol released Sensitive Skin, Mountain Blast (a new fragrance), and Arctic Chill (menthol) to its line of shaving creams. Several aftershave products have been introduced under the Barbasol brand name. Still later, Barbasol introduced disposable razors in twin-blade, three-blade, and six-blade versions.

Advertising

Early advertising

Barbasol became a very popular shaving cream after its introduction. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, many print advertisements were used to support its growth. Many of the print ads featured men and women in situations that would be considered risqué for their time.

The company also used several famous spokesmen in their print ads through the years, including actors Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Joe Cook, musician Vincent Lopez, baseball players Babe Ruth and Rogers Hornsby, as well as football legend Knute Rockne. [3] [4] [5]

In 1938, Barbasol sponsored a car in the Indianapolis 500, and painted it to look like a tube of the cream. Driven by George Bailey, the car made it to lap 166 of 200 before suffering clutch problems. The following year, the Barbasol car finished in tenth place. [6] The team got involved as a sponsor in the NASCAR Busch Series in the late 1990s, sponsoring Dick Bown's team and drivers Chuck and Jim Bown, Jim Sauter, and Greg Biffle in eleven races in 1996, then going to Akins Motorsports and drivers Glenn Allen Jr. and Elton Sawyer starting in 1997.

The tagline throughout this time was "No brush, no lather, no rub in." [7]

Singin' Sam, the Barbasol Man

One of the most nostalgic figures in Barbasol's history was Singin' Sam the Barbasol Man, whose real name was Harry Frankel. [8]

Frankel got his start as a vaudevillian, and eventually became the spokesperson for a lawnmower company and began broadcasting out of Cincinnati. The Barbasol Company soon heard him and, in 1931, signed him on as Singin' Sam the Barbasol Man, where he made famous the Barbasol jingle, "Barbasol, Barbasol ... No brush, no lather, no rub-in ... Wet your razor, then begin." [5]

Advertising since 2001

Barbasol's advertising since 2001 is not as suggestive as its 1920s counterparts. Many television ads from 2001 to 2009 have featured a close-call situation, followed by one person saying "Close shave!" and another person responding with "Better buy Barbasol!" The "close shave" double entendre has been replaced with the more patriotic tagline "Close Shave America, Close Shave Barbasol." (This can be heard, for example, on the Fred Thompson Show radio podcast). The related advertising relies less on tongue-in-cheek humor and associates the brand more with a warm, homey feeling.

In February 2012, Barbasol signed a five-year agreement with Major League Soccer side Columbus Crew that would see the brand become the club's shirt sponsor. [9]

Barbasol is a main sponsor of radio network Westwood One, with its radio commercials (most of which featured former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason) being heard during sporting events broadcast on Westwood One. [10]

The Barbasol Championship is a professional golf tournament scheduled that was played for the first time on the PGA Tour in 2015 as an alternative event for the 2015 Open Championship. The tournament is played on the Grand National course of the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail in Opelika, Alabama.

Barbasol has created a social media presence, including a Twitter-based sweepstakes.

In the 1993 sci-fi feature film Jurassic Park , an embryo cryopreservation container is hidden in a modified Barbasol can. The brand was used to market the 2015 sequel Jurassic World . Special dinosaur-themed cans were released, [11] along with a promotion offering a trip to an archaeological excavation in Wyoming. [12]

Barbasol's longevity in the American marketplace has made it an unmistakable icon for shaving. It is often the representative for a can of shaving cream, simply for its recognizable packaging, and can be seen in such movies as Jurassic Park , Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid , and Evan Almighty .

North American distribution

Barbasol is distributed throughout North America.

CountryDistributor
Canada Today's Concepts
MexicoGlobal Tradings, S.A. de C.V.
USA Perio, Inc. (owner)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hair removal</span> Temporary body hair removal

Hair removal is the deliberate removal of body hair or head hair. This process is also known as epilation or depilation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaving</span> Removal of hair with a razor or others bladed implement

Shaving is the removal of hair, by using a razor or any other kind of bladed implement, to slice it down—to the level of the skin or otherwise. Shaving is most commonly practiced by men to remove their facial hair and by women to remove their leg and underarm hair. A man is called clean-shaven if he has had his beard entirely removed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burma-Shave</span> U.S. shaving cream (introduced 1925)

Burma-Shave was an American brand of brushless shaving cream, famous for its advertising gimmick of posting humorous rhyming poems on small sequential highway roadside signs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Spice</span> American brand of male grooming products

Old Spice is an American brand of male grooming products encompassing aftershaves, deodorants and antiperspirants, shampoos, body washes, shaving cream, and soaps. It is manufactured by Procter & Gamble.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Safety razor</span> Shaving implement

A safety razor is a shaving implement with a protective device positioned between the edge of the blade and the skin. The initial purpose of these protective devices was to reduce the level of skill needed for injury-free shaving, thereby reducing the reliance on professional barbers.

Gillette is an American brand of safety razors and other personal care products including shaving supplies, owned by the multi-national corporation Procter & Gamble (P&G). Based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, it was owned by The Gillette Company, a supplier of products under various brands until that company merged into P&G in 2005. The Gillette Company was founded by King C. Gillette in 1901 as a safety razor manufacturer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaving cream</span> Cream applied to areas of hair growth to facilitate shaving

Shaving cream or shave cream is a category of cream cosmetics used for shaving preparation. The purpose of shaving cream is to soften the hair by providing lubrication.

Aqua Velva is an American brand of grooming products targeted at men. Its best-known product is the Ice Blue aftershave introduced in 1917 by the J.B. Williams Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaving brush</span> Tool to make and apply shaving soap or cream

A shaving brush or shave brush is a small brush with a handle parallel to the bristles used to make lather from shaving soap or shaving cream and apply it to the face when shaving. Shave brushes are often decorative; antique handles are often made from materials such as ivory or even gold, though the bristle load may be composed of any number of natural or synthetic materials. The shave brush is used most often today by "wet shavers" in tandem with a single- or double-edged safety razor or a straight razor. However, this is not always the case, as shavers of all varieties may employ the tool.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aftershave</span> Liquid applied to the shaved area of the face after shaving

Aftershave is a product applied to skin after shaving. Traditionally, it is an alcohol-based liquid (splash), but it can be a lotion, gel, or even a paste.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schick (razors)</span> American personal care brand

Schick is an American brand of personal care products and safety razors which was founded in 1926 by Jacob Schick. It is currently owned by Edgewell Personal Care.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noxzema</span> Brand of skin cleanser marketed by Unilever

Noxzema is an American brand of skin cleanser marketed by Elida Beauty. Since 1914, it was sold in a small cobalt blue jar; but is now sold in a blue plastic jar. Noxzema contains camphor, menthol, phenol and eucalyptus, among other ingredients. Originally developed as a sunburn remedy, it is a type of cold cream or vanishing cream which is used as a facial cleanser and make-up remover.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imperial Leather</span> British soap and toiletries brand

Imperial Leather is a British brand of soaps, toiletries and healthcare products manufactured by PZ Cussons. Its distinctive aroma is inspired by Russia leather.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King of Shaves</span> British toiletries company

The King of Shaves Company, Ltd. is a British toiletries company headquartered in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, England. The King of Shaves brand was founded in 1993 by Will King. The company was demerged from Knowledge & Merchandising Inc. Ltd. on 1 June 2009. It is owned by The King of Shaves Holding Company Ltd.

Personal care products are consumer products which are applied on various external parts of the body such as skin, hair, nails, lips, external genital and anal areas, as well as teeth and mucous membrane of the oral cavity, in order to make them clean, protect them from harmful germs and keep them in good condition. They promote personal hygiene and overall health, well-being and appearance of those body parts. Toiletries form a narrower category of personal care products which are used for basic hygiene and cleanliness as a part of a daily routine. Cosmetic products, in contrast, are used for personal grooming and beautification. Pharmaceutical products are not considered personal care products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Proraso</span> Italian brand of shaving products

Proraso is a personal care and grooming brand owned by the Italian company Ludovico Martelli srl. The brand includes men's barber supplies and scented shaving products, and consists of five different product lines aimed at the general public and a "Pro" line aimed at professional barbers, which contains three variants. The Proraso pre-shave cream has been in production since 1948.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shaving soap</span> Hard soap that is used to produce lather with a shaving brush

Shaving soap is a hard soap that is used to produce lather with a shaving brush. The lather it produces is used to coat the face during shaving, softening the hair in preparation for shaving.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edge (shaving gel)</span>

Edge is an American brand of shaving gel manufactured by Edgewell Personal Care. The line includes Sensitive Skin, Extra Moisturizing, Extra Protection, Ultra Sensitive, Clean and Refreshing, and Soothing Aloe.

<i>Jurassic Park: The Game</i> 2011 episodic adventure video game

Jurassic Park: The Game is an episodic graphic adventure video game based on the 1993 film Jurassic Park and released for the PlayStation 3, Macintosh, Microsoft Windows, and Xbox 360. The game was developed and published by Telltale Games as part of a licensing deal with Universal Partnerships & Licensing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry's</span> American shaving equipment company

Harry's is an American company that manufactures and sells shaving equipment and men's personal care products via online and retail channels. The company is known for their subscription service where customers receive new razor blades, shaving cream, and other grooming products by mail. Harry's is based in New York.

References

  1. "Perio, Inc. (Barbasol Brands)". LinkedIn. Retrieved 2014-02-26.[ dead link ]
  2. Buchanan, Doug (August 31, 2001). "Perio bringing Barbasol shaving cream to Dublin". www.bizjournals.com. Archived from the original on 2023-08-25. Retrieved 2023-08-25.
  3. "Barbasol /// History". Barbasol.com. Archived from the original on 2014-03-02. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
  4. "Barbasol advertisements". Barbasol.com. Archived from the original on 2013-12-16. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
  5. 1 2 Mitchell, Dawn (September 15, 2017). "RetroIndy: A close shave with Barbasol". The Indianapolis Star. Archived from the original on 2023-08-25. Retrieved 2023-08-25.
  6. The official website of the Indianapolis 500 (Indy500.com) provides box scores for 1938 Archived May 14, 2008, at the Wayback Machine and 1939 Archived May 14, 2008, at the Wayback Machine .
  7. "Barbasol /// History". Barbasol.com. Archived from the original on 2014-03-02. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
  8. "Singin' Sam, the Barbasol Man". Mrlinfo.org. Archived from the original on 2013-04-14. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
  9. "The Columbus Crew". Barbasol.com. Archived from the original on 2014-03-02. Retrieved 2014-02-26.
  10. "Westwood One Radio finds sales pace has picked up for Super Bowl radio broadcast". SportsBusiness Daily. Archived from the original on 18 April 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2017 via sportsbusinessdaily.com.
  11. Sauer, Abe (15 May 2015). "22 Years After Jurassic Park Debut, Barbasol Sets Jurassic World Tie-Ins". brandchannel.com. Archived from the original on 14 August 2017. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  12. "Jurassic World Has Partnered with Barbasol Shaving Cream and It's the Best". Nerdist.com. 25 May 2015. Archived from the original on 16 June 2018. Retrieved 30 June 2017.