History of Brylcreem

Starting in 1929, Brylcreem became one of the best-known, brand name products in America and Europe. 

Created in 1928 by the Birmingham County Chemical Company in Britain, the product, first sold as Elite Hair Dressing Cream, was intended to keep hair in place.

It was first advertised on TV by the jingle, ‘Brylcreem, A Little Dab’ll Do Ya!’ In 1939, the company was acquired by Beecham.

Brylcreem was the truly mass marketed men’s hair care product. It was issued to British soldiers as part of their personal care kits during World War II.

Brylcreem, originally used mainly by elder men and regarded as a cash cow by SmithKline Beecham, was re-launched targeting young men when Sara Lee bought the brand in 1993.
History of Brylcreem

Procter and Gamble Company

On 12 April 1837 William Procter and James Gamble produced and sold soap and candles.

William Procter was an English storekeeper and candle maker. James A. Gamble an Irish soap maker. Both men had apprenticed in their respective trades made the way separately to Cincinnati and settled in to begin business.

They married sisters – Olivia and Elizabeth Ann Norris. During sharp economic downturn in 1837, their father in law, Alexander Norris, suggested that the two entrepreneurs unite their operation.

The company grew steadily as the two men made good use of the nation’s rivers and developing railway system to transport good place to place.

By 1859, they were selling $1 million worth of products. Procter and Gamble was the leading supplier of soap and candles to Union troops during the US Civil War (1861-1865).

In 1860, realizing that a war was imminent, Procter and Gamble sent William and James Norris Gamble, his cousin to New Orleans to purchase a large supply of rosin, which as necessary for making soap.

When the Civil War erupted several months later, Procter and Gamble had more suppliers that their competitors for making soap.

In 1886 Procter and Gamble started production at the Ivorydale factory a facility recognized for its progressive approach towards creating a pleasant work environment for its employee.

Procter and Gamble continued to expand its product lines. Its Head and Shoulders became one of the world’s leading antidandruff shampoos.

Procter and Gamble turned to radio advertising early in the 1920s. Camay soap was the first Procter and Gamble product to be advertised on network radio.

In 1930 Procter and Gamble established its first overseas subsidiary in England and it built a manufacturing company in the Philippines in 1935.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Procter and Gamble acquired Max Factor and Noxell, two beauty products companies that produces for use on hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes.
Procter and Gamble Company

Business history of Benckiser NV

Johann A. Benckiser founded a business in the Germany in 1823 with limited resources the company’s core business was derived from industrial chemicals.

Benckiser diversified into consumer goods launched Calgon Water Softener and made a name for itself globally as the Calgon maker.

In 1966 Benckiser developed and launched Calgonit Automatic Dishwashing Detergent and Quanto Fabric Softener.

Benckiser continued its expansion into consumer goods via acquisitions and divestitures. In 1985 Benckiser acquired St. Marc S.A France.

Later in 1990 Benckiser acquired Beecham Household Products in the United States and Canada.

In 2000, Reckitt & Coleman plc (UK) merged with Benckiser NV (Dutch) to form Reckitt Benckiser. Reckitt Benckiser, headquartered in Slough is now the world’s biggest maker of household cleaners.

In 2000 Reckitt Benckiser had around 20,000 employees, produced net revenues of just over ₤3 billion and had operating profit of ₤357 million.

Ten years later, with only an extra 5000 employees, revenue had more than doubled to nearly ₤8 billion and profits had risen by more than five times to nearly ₤2 billion.
Business history of Benckiser NV