Kleenex

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Kleenex
Kleenex.svg
Kleenex-small-box.jpg
A box of Kleenex facial tissues
Product typeFacial Tissue
Owner Kimberly-Clark
Country United States
IntroducedJune 12, 1924;100 years ago (1924-06-12)
MarketsWorldwide except Canada
Previous ownersInternational Cellucotton Products Company
Registered as a trademark inUSA
Website https://kleenex.com

Kleenex is a brand name primarily known for their line of facial tissues. Often used informally as a genericized trademark for facial tissue, [1] [2] Kleenex is a registered trademark of Kimberly-Clark applied to products made in 78 countries.[ citation needed ] The brand has other paper products like napkins and toilet roll.

Contents

History

Kleenex began during the First World War when the Cellucotton company developed a crepe paper gas mask filter. In the 1920s, the product was modified into the menstrual pad Kotex. A further modification of the original crepe paper made it thinner and softer, and the resultant 1924 product was called "Kleenex" and marketed as a cold cream remover. [3] In line with the company's requirements for their brand names to be short, easy to say, and easy to explain, the name Kleenex was selected as the "Kleen" portion of the name denotes its cleansing purpose with a sensational spelling of the word "clean". The "ex" was added to show that Kleenex was of the family of products that included Kotex. This was the first marketing of a disposable paper-based facial tissue in the western world, and was sold as a substitute for face towels or cotton wool.[ citation needed ]

In 1925, the first Kleenex tissue ad was used in magazines showing "the new secret of keeping a pretty skin as used by famous movie stars". A few years after the introduction of Kleenex, the Cellucotton's head researcher tried to persuade the head of advertising to try to market the tissue for colds and hay fever. The administrator declined the idea but then committed a small amount of ad space to mention of using Kleenex tissue as a handkerchief. By the 1930s, Kleenex was being marketed with the slogan "Don't Carry a Cold in Your Pocket" and its use as a disposable handkerchief replacement became predominant. [4] In 1943, Kleenex began licensing the Little Lulu cartoon character to popularize the brand. [5]

New rebranding in 2024 Kleenex-new.webp
New rebranding in 2024
An older, retouched version of the Kleenex logo, as used from 1992 to 2007 Kleenex old.svg
An older, retouched version of the Kleenex logo, as used from 1992 to 2007

Trademark

Original 1925 Kleenex trademark Original Kleenex-mark1925-trademarkia.jpeg
Original 1925 Kleenex trademark

The original Kleenex trademark application at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) was filed in the class of Medical, Beauty, & Agricultural Services by Cellucotton Products Company of Neenah, Wisconsin, on July 12, 1924. The description provided to the USPTO was "absorbent pads or sheets for removing cold cream". [6]

In the application, Cellucotton claimed that it had used the drawing and stylized word mark in commerce since June 12, 1924. [6] USPTO granted trademark registration on November 25, 1924. International Cellucotton Products Company officially assigned trademark interest and good will of the business to Kimberly-Clark Corporation on September 30, 1955. Kimberly-Clark Corporation of Neenah, Wisconsin is the current registered owner of the Kleenex trademark. [7]

Nationwide marketing in the United states of Kleenex (as a means of removing cold cream rather than as a tissue for sneezes) was rolled out in the first week of September 1924 in Chicago with an ad for the Walgreen drug store chain on September 2 [8] and with an offer on September 4 for a free sample in New York City [9]

In the U.S., the Kleenex name has become—in common usage but not in law—genericized. The popularity of the product has led to the use of its name to refer to any facial tissue, regardless of the brand. [10] Many dictionaries, including Merriam-Webster and Oxford, now include definitions in their publications defining it as such. [11] [12]

In 2023 Kimberly-Clark announced that it would no longer be selling the brand in Canada, citing transportation costs. It had a 16 percent market share at the time, but the cost of shipping meant profitability was low. [13]

Diapers

In 1978, Kimberly-Clark introduced Kleenex Super Dry diapers with wetness indicators in the form of a design that fades and lightens as the inside of the diaper becomes wetter. The Huggies brand, introduced in 1977, is the current brand of diaper products for Kimberly-Clark.[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kimberly-Clark</span> American multinational personal care corporation

Kimberly-Clark Corporation is an American multinational consumer goods and personal care corporation that produces mostly paper-based consumer products. The company manufactures sanitary paper products and surgical & medical instruments. Kimberly-Clark brand name products include Kleenex facial tissue, Kotex feminine hygiene products, Cottonelle, Scott and Andrex toilet paper, Wypall utility wipes, KimWipes scientific cleaning wipes and Huggies disposable diapers and baby wipes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Paper Company</span> Defunct company, now part of Kimberly-Clark

The Scott Paper Company was a manufacturer and marketer of sanitary tissue products with operations in 22 countries. Its products were sold under a variety of well-known brand names, including Scott Tissue, Cottonelle, Baby Fresh, Scottex and Viva. Consolidated sales of its consumer and commercial products totalled approximately $3.6 billion in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Generic trademark</span> Common terms used to name products or services

A generic trademark, also known as a genericized trademark or proprietary eponym, is a trademark or brand name that, because of its popularity or significance, has become the generic term for, or synonymous with, a general class of products or services, usually against the intentions of the trademark's owner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kotex</span> Brand of menstrual hygiene products

Kotex is an American brand of menstrual hygiene products, which includes the Kotex maxi, thin and ultra-thin pads, the Security tampons, and the Lightdays pantiliners. Most recently, the company has added U by Kotex to its menstrual hygiene product line. Kotex is owned and managed by Kimberly-Clark, a consumer products corporation active in more than 80 countries.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goodnites</span> Disposable undergarments designed for managing Nocturnal Enuresis

Goodnites are diapers designed for managing bedwetting. Goodnites are produced by Kimberly-Clark. The product has also been seen titled as Huggies Goodnites on official Huggies branded webpages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Facial tissue</span> Disposable paper used on the face

Facial tissue and paper handkerchief refers to a class of soft, absorbent, disposable papers that are suitable for use on the face. They are disposable alternatives for cloth handkerchiefs. The terms are commonly used to refer to the type of paper tissue, usually sold in boxes, that is designed to facilitate the expulsion of nasal mucus from the nose (nose-blowing) although it may refer to other types of facial tissues such as napkins and wipes.

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<i>The Story of Menstruation</i> 1946 American film

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A wetness indicator is a common feature in many disposable diapers and toilet training pants. It is a feature that reacts to exposure of liquid as a way to discourage the wearer to urinate in the training pants, or as an indicator to a caregiver that a diaper needs changing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernst Mahler</span>

Ernst Mahler was an Austrian chemist and leader of the Kimberly-Clark Corporation in Wisconsin. Mahler developed, refined, and commercialized various popular products and processes of papermaking. He was also instrumental in the foundation of the Institute of Paper Science and Technology (IPST) as well as the Technical Association of the Pulp and Paper Industry (TAPPI).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halyard Health</span> American medical equipment manufacturer

Halyard, formerly Kimberly-Clark Health Care, now part of Owens & Minor, sells sterilization wrap, facial protection, gloves, protective apparel, surgical drapes and gowns in more than 100 countries.

Depend is a Kimberly-Clark brand of absorbent, disposable undergarments for people with urinary or fecal incontinence. It positions its products as an alternative to typical adult diapers. Depend is the dominant brand of disposable incontinence garments in the United States with a 49.4 share of the market.

References

  1. Gordon, Whitson (June 25, 2019). "How a Brand Name Becomes Generic". The New York Times. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  2. "The "Lawyers of Kleenex" are taking a soft approach to the hard realities of genericide". Quartz. November 3, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  3. "The Kleenex Story". Kleenex Official Site. Archived from the original on October 10, 2020. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  4. "Kleenex Brand Story". Kleenex.com. Archived from the original on May 27, 2010. Retrieved June 26, 2010.
  5. ""Marge and Lulu: The Art of the Deal," Jennifer Gotwals, Hogan's Alley #15, 2007". Archived from the original on May 1, 2013. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
  6. 1 2 Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office, September 2, 1924, p.40 ("Ser. No. 199,932... Filed July 12, 1924... Claims was since June 12, 1924")
  7. "United States Patent and Trademark Office, registration #s 0019194;0022859;0029753;0038458;0408618". June 12, 1924. Archived from the original on December 9, 2002. Retrieved June 25, 2010.
  8. Chicago Daily Tribune, September 2, 1924, p.13 ("A soft, velvety tissue for removing cold cream from the face. It is safe, sanitary and inexpensive. Use it once and throw it away.")
  9. Daily News (New York City), September 4, 1924, p.21 ("This new way removes cold cream safely... Adopted by famous actresses, advised by beauty doctors and skin experts."
  10. "Has kleenex become a generic trademark?". genericides.org. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  11. "Kleenex". Archived from the original on October 15, 2017. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  12. "Kleenex". Archived from the original on July 9, 2017. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  13. Evans, Pete (August 25, 2023). "What a blow! Kleenex pulling out of Canadian consumer market". CBC News. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved July 25, 2024.

Further reading