In 1873, nearly 70 years after William Colgate had founded the company, Colgate introduced its first toothpaste.
The first Colgate toothpaste was an aromatic cream sold in jar. For eighteenth years Colgate Dental Cream was the largest selling toothpaste in the world, aided by extensive advertising and an international network of sales organization. In 1896, Colgate made the first collapsible toothpaste tube, making the act of cleaning teeth a lot easier and more hygienic.
At the beginning of the 1950s Colgate toothpaste led the way with jingle: ‘It cleans your breath while it cleans your teeth’. For most of the decade, Colgate outsold all others.
The main threat to the brand has been its chief rival, Crest. Crest was the first toothpaste to introduce fluoride in 1955.
In the mid-1990s, Colgate-Palmolive developed new toothpaste for the US market, Colgate Total, with an antibacterial ingredient that was already being successfully sold overseas.
Colgate has long been the leader in the global market, but the totality claim of Colgate Total has also helped it return to the US number one spot after 30 years in Crest’s cavity-fighting shadow.
Colgate toothpaste
