Get a softer, smoother, younger-looking complexion in 14 days with Palmolive soap — or get the same result in seven short days with Ivory soap
Colgate Palmolive and Procter & Gamble had competed for the bar-soap market for more than half a century at the time these advertisements were published
The choice, Palmolive or Ivory,
was not an easy choice
The two advertisements in Woman’s Home Companion, July 1952, could have been – but weren’t – created, designed and written by the same art directors and copywriters. The claims are the same and there is a similarity in the design.
“More doctors advise Ivory than any other soap” but “thirty-six leading skin specialists, in 1285 tests with women of all ages—with all types of skin—found more women can have lovelier complexions” when they use Palmolive soap.
And Ivory responds that “more doctors, including skin doctors, advise Ivory for your skin and baby’s skin than all other brands of soap put together!” Who to believe?
“Palmolive brings out beauty while it cleans you skin” but women could achieve the Ivory Look of leading beauties and little baby beauties.
This advertisement for Cashmere Soap, in the same issue of Woman’s Home Companion, continues the claim that soap works wonders with women’s skin.
Palmolive cleans your skin; Ivory is safe enough for a baby’s skin; Cashmere claims to be the only soap that adds an exciting bouquet to skin.
Here is what the Cashmere Bouquest soap says, italics, underlining, and exclamation marks included.
“Only one soap gives your skin this Exciting Bouquet
And Cashmere Bouquet is proved extra mild…leaves your skin softer, fresher, younger looking!
Now Cashmere Bouquet Soap—with the lingering, irresistible “fragrance men love”—is proved by test to be extra mild too! Yes, so amazingly mild that it gentle lather is ideal for all types of skin—dry, oily, or normal! And daily cleansing with Cashmere Bouquet helps bring out the flower-fresh softness, the delicate smoothness, the exciting loveliness you long for! Use Cashmere Bouquet Soap regularly…for the finest complexion care…for a fragrant invitation to romance!
Now at lowest price!
Cashmere Bouquet Soap
—Adorns your skin with the fragrance men love!”
But wait! There’s more!
There are hundreds of bar soap brands around the world including: Dove. Olay. Dial. Irish Spring. Palmolive. Caress. Aveeno. Zest. Ivory. Neutrogena. Pears. Coast. Camay. And more!
There are decorative soaps, deep cleansing soaps, soaps for sensitive skin, medicated bar soaps and bar soaps with moisturizers, soaps that are expensive, exclusive, affordable, and soap that is antibacterial, organic, or “Dermatologist Recommended.”
Scent and moisturizing capabilities are typically heralded as the most influential to potential customers closely followed by best lather, best texture and best price.
Bar soap for children has been on the market for decades; today the industry is also creating products geared to the aging process.
But Bar soap has been getting pushed to the side on drugstore shelves for years.
Today there are liquid soaps, foaming soaps, body washes and shower gels and when you venture into specialty stores, the selection gets positively arcane with “shower jellies” and “shower smoothies” and “summer fruits” and “cucumber melon.”
What can you write about bars of soap?
Palmolive, the distinctive green soap, was introduced in 1898 by the B.J Johnson Company, founded in 1864 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 1928 The Palmolive Soap Company merged with the Colgate Company, founded in 1806, to become Colgate-Palmolive.
In 1840 the J.B Williams Company of Glastonbury, Connecticut first introduced a soap named Ivorine. In 1874 Williams sold the product to Procter & Gamble and the name was changed to “Ivory”. It has been said that the advertising budget for Ivory in 1882 was $11,000: the slogan “It Floats” was adopted in 1891 to be followed in 1895 with the explanation that Ivory floats because it is 9944/100% pure.
