pond`s cream article
Transcription
pond`s cream article
Munsey ––––––––––––––––––––– PONDS & JWT –––––––––––––––––––––– Page 1 FINAL DRAFT Cecil Munsey, PhD 13541 Willow Run Road Poway, CA 92064-1733 USA PHONE: E-MAIL: Date: Words: Rights: Photos / Illus: Price: Periodical: Category: 858-487-7036 [email protected] August 2010 3,546 First Serial 21 Open Open History (nostalgia) POND’S CREAM [A thick semisolid cosmetic preparation applied to the skin that became a favorite of European royalty and famous, wealthy American women] & JWT (John Walter Thompson) [One of the oldest, largest advertising agencies in the United States and the fourth largest in the world] (Fig. 1) –put on cover page: “Queen Marie of Romania (1875-1938) who, because of Pond’s supposed ability to ‘soften’ and ‘whiten’ the skin, became the most important spokesperson for Pond’s creams in the 1920s and ‘30s.” Copyright © 2010 by Cecil Munsey Munsey ––––––––––––––––––––– PONDS & JWT –––––––––––––––––––––– Page 2 (Fig. 1. Queen Marie of Romania who was the most important spokesperson for Pond's creams in the 1920s and '30sw) Who hasn’t been on a bottle dig and not come home with several milk-glass cold cream jars? Any serious bottle digger will tell you how easy that is to do – seems like every dump has hundreds; maybe even thousands of the sometimes-rust-stained white milk-glass jars used to contain one of Pond’s famous face creams (Fig. 2) or the few other almost obscure brands of the time (Fig. 3) (Fig. 4) (Fig. 5) (Fig. 6). A good example of another cream that was almost as famous as Pond’s is (Figs. 7, 8 & 8a) Dr. Hebra’s Viola Cream of the 1890s that was made by G. C. Bittner & Co. of Toledo, Ohio. It was widely advertised as “The greatest discovery of the present century, for beautiful complexions.” Just like Pond’s at that time, this product had a patent medicine tinge to its advertising: ‘DR. HEBRA’S VIOLA CREAM: The Greatest Discovery of the Present Century, for Beautiful Complexion. The Only Known Preparation that will Positively Remove Freckles, Liver-Moles, Moth-Patches, Blackheads, Tan, Sunburn, Pimples and all unpleasant condition of the skin, of like character restoring its freshness and purity FOR ROUGH HARD SKIN. It is a certain remedy softening, cleansing, purifying and renewing a healthy action. YOUNG LADIES, who are afflicted with disagreeable pimples on the face by using VIOLA CREAM, will find them effectively removed, leaving the skin soft and beautiful. FOR PRESERVING AND BRIGHENING The COMPLEXION, restoring the skin to its original freshness and purity, we take great pride and satisfaction in calling your attention to DR. HEBRA’S VIOLA CREAM with confidence supported by the highest MEDICAL and SCIENTIFIC authority, and the testimony of hundreds of first ladies of this and other cities. Its purifying and healing properties render the skin beautifully soft and pure, imparting a satin-like texture and the bloom of health. It is not a cosmetic to cover up and hide blemishes, but it is a sure cure for all imperfections of the skin. Munsey ––––––––––––––––––––– PONDS & JWT –––––––––––––––––––––– Page 3 VIOLA CREAM is the result of a series of experiments extending over a long period, to obtain a remedy that would remover all blemishes of the skin, combined in a neat, elegant and agreeable form. It was our aim to excel all existing preparation of a similar nature, to overcome their various objections and to make it more positive in its emollient, healing and curative qualities. In view of all these facts it is not to be wondered at the Dr. Hebra’s Viola Cream meets such universal commendation wherever it has become known.’ (Fig. 2. Pond's Cream jar (dug) (Fig. 4. dug jar) (Fig. 3. Cream Jar with inlaid decorations) (Fig. 5. Cream Jar) Munsey ––––––––––––––––––––– PONDS & JWT –––––––––––––––––––––– Page 4 (Fig. 6. Cara Nome Skin Cream) (Fig. 7. Dr. Hebra's Viola Cream) (Fig. 8a. The Secret of aBeauftiful Complexion (Dr. Hebra's Viola Cream)) (Fig. 8. Dr. Hebra's Viola Cream 1890s trade card) But back to the point that anything as plentiful as cold cream jars from around the turn-of-the 20th century can’t be worth much money as antiques. True, BUT if value is at least a bit determined by history, cream jars are historically valuable. At least that’s part of the hypothesis of this article. Munsey ––––––––––––––––––––– PONDS & JWT –––––––––––––––––––––– Page 5 PONDS, WHEN? In 1846 chemist Theron T. Pond extracted a healing "tea" from the bark of the shrub, witch hazel. It was designed for use as a topical astringent (constricting) salve for wounds and also purported to be a remedy for numerous other ailments. Pond was among the first to create a commercial product from witch hazel; it became known as the early patent medicine Pond's Extract. In 1849 Pond and several partners formed and incorporated the T. T. Pond Company. Mr. Pond several years later sold out to his partners. He died very soon afterward in 1852. PONDS, WHERE? The company moved its manufacturing facilities to Connecticut and then moved its sales offices to New York City. The company incorporated there in 1914 with the name “Pond's Extract Company.” [Sidebar: While 1849 is the year Pond’s created and first sold the first witch hazel-based Pond’s Extract, a Cambridge, Massachusetts physician Henry Thayer, (Fig. 9) developed and marketed his slippery elm and witch hazel products in 1847, to claim to be the first and oldest in the country to do so. His methods produced, for the first time, standardized strengths, enabling physicians to regulate dosages accurately. The company, named Henry Thayer & Company, prospered and broadened its line of products and has been described as the largest manufacturer of pharmaceuticals in America at the time of the Civil War. This company, which is still in business, uses the claim to this day.] (Fig. 9. Henry Thayer, M.D) Munsey ––––––––––––––––––––– PONDS & JWT –––––––––––––––––––––– Page 6 “JWT” (POND’S AD AGENCY FOR 146 YEARS AND COUNTING….) PONDS ADVERTISING: Pond's Extract Company began its first national advertising campaign in 1886, using the services of the New York advertising firm, J. Walter Thompson Company founded in 1864 by William James Carlton. In 1877 the firm was renamed as The James Walter Thompson Company. Eventually the advertising firm became simply J. Walter Thompson. Even though the Ponds Company began creating other products based on its famous extract in the 1890s, it advertised only “Pond's Extract” under the corporate name “Pond’s Healing” until 1910. Around that time, owing to the broader availability of witch hazel at a lower price, it became clear that Pond's Extract had no commercial future and the Ponds Company began developing other cream products. Sidebar: [The Roman physician Galen allegedly invented the product called (cold) cream in the first century. Its reemergence as “cold” cream in the late 1800s was mostly because pharmacists who sold it in those days, kept it on ice.] The cream products are now variously called cold cream, moisturizer, face cream, and cleansing cream. (Studies have shown that moisturizer to be the preferred term and that many younger people today have never heard of cold cream.) CHRONOLOGY OF “JWT” CLAIMS OF FIRSTS TO: • Build the first full-service advertising agency; • Create the first international network (London 1899) and by 1930, the agency had established offices in some 30 countries); • Pioneer advertising careers for women. (Hired the first female creative director in 1908); • Create the first ever-testimonial print ad by an agency (it was for Pond’s Cold Cream, in 1925) – (Fig. 10). Munsey ––––––––––––––––––––– PONDS & JWT –––––––––––––––––––––– Page 7 SOME OF “JWT’s” CLIENTS BESIDES PONDS: Bayer; Bloomberg; Cadbury; DTC; Ford; HSBC; ‘Huggies’; Johnson & Johnson; Kellogg; Kimberly-Clark; Macy’s; Microsoft; Nestle; Nokia; Rolex; Royal Caribbean; Schick; Shell; Tim Horton’s; Unilever; U. S. Marine Corps; Vodafone. “JWT’s” network has nearly 10,000 employees in more than 200 offices in over 90 countries, who serve over 1,200 clients. ADVERTISING: At about the same time as industry boomed, companies didn’t only produce more of existing goods or produce them more cheaply – they began to manufacture entirely new kinds of products. But to sell these new products, companies first had to convince consumers that they needed them – consequently marketing and advertising became necessary activities. The 1910s “Pond's Vanishing Cream” and “Pond's Cold Cream” were first on the list of products the Ponds Company selected to try to convince consumers they needed. J. Walter Thompson Company began creating ads focusing on the glycerin-based Vanishing Cream in 1910. In the early ads, Pond's Extract and Cold Cream were often mentioned briefly at the bottom of the copy. Sample Pond’s advertisements for 1911 and 1916 (Figs. 10 & 11). In 1914, advertising for Pond's Extract ceased, and a new campaign was initiated, promoting the Vanishing Cream and Cold Cream together in ads with the theme "Every normal skin needs these two creams." The new ads drew a clear distinction between the intended functions of the two products: “Cold Cream to cleanse, Vanishing Cream to protect the skin.” According to a J. W. Thompson Co. report, "the success of this strategy was immediate," with 1916 sales showing a 27% increase for the Cold Cream and 60% for the Vanishing Cream. The campaign theme remained consistent for eight Munsey ––––––––––––––––––––– PONDS & JWT –––––––––––––––––––––– Page 8 years (until 1921), after which sales gains began to slow, though both creams still were leaders among the numerous brands marketed in the same product categories. (Fig. 10. Ponds 1911 Vanishing Cream Advertisement) Munsey ––––––––––––––––––––– PONDS & JWT –––––––––––––––––––––– Page 9 (Fig. 11. Pond's 1916 Vanishing Cream Print Advertisement) Munsey ––––––––––––––––––––– PONDS & JWT –––––––––––––––––––––– Page 10 Until World War I (1914-1918) Ponds, much like Dr. Hebra’s Viola’s Cream (Figs. 7 & 8), promised to cure just about whatever ailment you might have. Concerned about the sales drop and changes in the competitive environment, John W. Thompson Co. undertook intensive market research on behalf of the Ponds Company. The advertising agency reached the conclusion that the two main Pond's products "…had begun to suffer from their very leadership. Reasonable in price, used by everyone, many women had begun to think that Pond’s creams could not be as good as creams that were more costly or that were imported. Their enormous popularity had brought them loss of caste; they lacked exclusiveness, social prestige." The 1920s By 1922, sales of the products had gone down, as many believed that such an easily available product could not perform as well as other, "designer" products. Because of this, the Pond's Company then targeted Royalty, politicians and people of high-class stature to become advertisers for the company. In addition, these ads were printed in magazines such as Vogue and others, to give customers a feeling that they really were getting a quality product for a fair price. J. W. Thompson Co. launched a bold strategy to give the creams prestige: a testimonial campaign which included the endorsements of "three of the reigning queens of Europe, six princesses, titled ladies, and leaders of American society," beginning in 1924. The campaign was carefully planned, and the “famous women” ads were placed in a selection of the largest circulation women's magazines, in a half dozen fiction and motion picture magazines, and in only one "class" publication, Vogue. Sales of the creams jumped again, and they maintained their leading positions in a crowded marketplace of similar products. In 1923, Queen Marie of Romania (Fig. 12) had visited the United States, and she enjoyed Pond’s product so much that in 1925 she wrote to the Ponds Company requesting more supplies. Her letter was, in turn, used for advertisement, and Her Majesty joined the list of celebrities who had previously sponsored the products. Munsey ––––––––––––––––––––– PONDS & JWT –––––––––––––––––––––– Page 11 (Fig. 12. Queen Marie of Romania) Around the time of Queen Marie's visit to the United States, the Pond's Company began to place offers for samples of their products in their magazine ads, and the characters of "Peter" and "Polly Ponds" (Fig. 13) were created, as part of their campaign to entice normal people into buying their cream again. The marketing strategies proved successful, as sales of the Pond's facial creams went up again. "Peter" and "Polly Ponds" disappeared from the company's ad campaigns after 1925. Munsey ––––––––––––––––––––– PONDS & JWT –––––––––––––––––––––– Page 12 (Fig. 13. Polly and Peter Ponds circa 1925) The 1930s & ‘40s Munsey ––––––––––––––––––––– PONDS & JWT –––––––––––––––––––––– Page 13 During the Depression Era of the 1930s, the company's business slowed down somewhat. After World War II, however, the Pond's company expanded slowly, adding Face Powder and Angel Face products (Fig. 14) and cream in tubes (Fig. 15). (Fig. 14. Pond's Angel Face Compact Powder) Munsey ––––––––––––––––––––– PONDS & JWT –––––––––––––––––––––– Page 14 (Fig. 15. Contemporary Magazine advertisement offering samples of both Pond's Cold Cream and Vanishing Cream in tubes) Munsey ––––––––––––––––––––– PONDS & JWT –––––––––––––––––––––– Page 15 The 1950s (First merger) Pond's Company was merged in 1955 with the Chesebrough Manufacturing Company, creators of Vaseline® Petroleum Jelly (Fig. 16) which had a good percentage of brands in the facial care field. With this merger, "Pond's Creams" would become sisters with the Cutex nail polish brand and the Matchabelli perfumes. With Chesebrough in command, "Pond's Creams" became available at many supermarkets across the United States. The creams' bottles consisted of small, glass bottles with a round cap. The bottles could be recognized by their distinctive colors, usually in green, blue or white (Figs. 17 & 18). That bottle design is still in use by the Pond's brand (Fig. 19). (Fig. 16. Vaseline Petroleum Jelly) (Fig. 18. Pond's Vanishing Cream) (Fig. 17. Ponds cold Cream) (Fig. 19. Contemporary Ponds Dry Skin Cream) Munsey ––––––––––––––––––––– PONDS & JWT –––––––––––––––––––––– Page 16 The 1960s-1980s (Second merger) In 1987, the Anglo-Dutch Company Unilever, giving “Pond’s Creams” a more international reach, acquired the Chesebrough Manufacturing Company by then known as “Chesebrough-Ponds”. New products included a variety of face powders. The joined company diversified further with Cutex nail polishes, Prince Matchabelli perfumes, and other products. The 1990s-2010s Pond’s advertising continues down the traditional cream path. For example youthful Kylie Minogue (vocal artist) says, in (2010), that her enviable wrinkle-free skin is because she uses Pond’s Cold Cream (Fig. 21). (Fig. 21. Kyle Minogue says herwrinkle-free skin is down to using Pond's Cold Cream) # # # # # Munsey ––––––––––––––––––––– PONDS & JWT –––––––––––––––––––––– Page 17 (AFTERWORD – author unknown) “Queen Marie Of Romania” 1875‐1938 “Queen Marie of Romania (Fig. 20) was related to both Queen Alexandra (aunt) and Grand Duchess Elizabeth (1st cousin and aunt by marriage). Most Victorians were somewhat snobby by nature, and Marie was no exception. The difference was that she had the intelligence to match it and knew when not to overstate her piousness. Her mother, Marie, was the only surviving daughter of Tsar Alexander II of Russia and her father, Alfred, was the second son of Queen Victoria. Needless to say Marie grew up in the thick of the European related royals. “She was born in Kent, England in 1875, the eldest daughter. Her father was a naval officer and he moved his family from location to location throughout their childhoods. One of Marie's favorite places was the island of Malta, where she lived for several years. Her parents had 5 children, 1 boy named Alfred and 4 girls, Marie, Victoria Melita, Alexandra and Beatrice. Marie and her next younger sister were particularly close, and in an age where parenting meant little or no affection, this kind of closeness would help mold Marie into a better mother than her own mother. “In her youth her first cousin George (later George V of England) fell in love with her but Marie and her immediate family did not believe in first cousins getting married. The two would remain lifelong friends, however. She did not have an easy childhood, her mother was very strict (like most royal mothers of the age) and her father had no clue about interacting with children. Marie showed from an early age that she could endure much and still come through shining, qualities that would serve her well later. “In 1893 she married the heir to the Romanian throne Ferdinand, a short, big eared man who was all but run over by his domineering uncle King Carol I. Marie brought a much needed breath of fresh air into Romania. Carol's wife, Elizabeth, was a strange character who wrote poetry under the name Carmen Sylva, and who Marie and an on and off again relationship with. Marie and Ferdinand had 6 children, 3 boys and 3 girls. Marie was not fully allowed to raise the heir to the throne and so he turned out to be rude and unyielding. Her youngest child, Mircea would die at the age of 4, but the rest of her children did live on, the youngest one dying in 1991! The younger children turned out very nice, and later in life they looked back on their mother and her life with pride and wonderment. “During WWI Marie did what most of her female relatives did: volunteer as a Red Cross nurse to help the sick and wounded. She poured her heart and soul into this work and did not take very good precautions to ensure her own life; she did not wear gloves when dealing with a diseased man and did not have any "bodyguards" when she went Munsey ––––––––––––––––––––– PONDS & JWT –––––––––––––––––––––– Page 18 into the Romanian countryside to see how all her people lived. She had a great respect for the Gypsies, and loved hearing them talk about Romanian folklore. “It wasn't until 1916 when King Carol died, but since it was also WWI Marie and Ferdinand could not be crowned yet (they would not be crowned until 1922) although they were King and Queen of Romania. Marie loved pomp and couldn't wait to be crowned in a HUGE ceremony with all her people there. She was beginning to become known as the "modern Queen" – a Queen who was not stuck in the Victorian time warp like Queen Mary of England, and a Queen who listened to her people and made herself available to her people. “When WWI was over and the Allies were trying to figure out how to partition Europe and scold Germany, Marie herself went to Versailles and represented Romania. She wooed the ministers so much that they gave back territory that Romania had lost and promised not to partition her. “It was at that time that Queen Marie started to make more of an international impression. Media was becoming a little more international and Marie was known throughout the first world as indicate3d above as the "modern Queen". She even took a tour of the USA where she wooed everyone, but had to cut the trip short when Ferdinand died in 1927. “She was a great correspondent and wrote to a huge amount of people from all over the first world. Some of them she met, some of them not, but the ones who did meet her were greatly impressed by her political, economical and social common sense. They were also the first to admit that Marie was as every bit pompous as they had heard, but they would be surprised at the calming effect Marie had on people "below her rank". She was one of those royals that, if not for her clothes, jewelry and estates, would be just another strong willed woman in post WWI Europe. “One of the reasons why she is fascinating is that she had a rare combination of royal snobbery, common sense and kindness. She was not afraid to move into the 20th century and have a go at the latest technologies. After her husband's death she had a difficult time with her son, King Carol II. He was very jealous of the popularity of his mother all across Europe and the USA and decided to all but shut her out. He was not a good king; he did not care for the country or its people, whereas his mother did. “She spent her last years writing her autobiography, which was completed in two volumes in 1933 entitled "Story Of My Life.” It's said to be a good book, a little boring at times but otherwise informative. It is interesting to read directly from the source; one can really get a sense of what Marie was like. She died in 1938 after getting a sudden illness. Some say she was poisoned, having never been sick in her entire life before that time, but some say she was worn out by the constant battling between she and her son Carol. Whatever the case, it was her wish to have her heart taken out of her and buried in the capital of Romania, while the rest of her lay next to her husband. Now that Romania is free of communism they can once again explore their history and learn of their Queen who loved them just as much as she loved herself!” A couple of good books on Marie are: "Story of My Life" by Marie, Queen of Romania "Marie of Romania" by Terence Elsberry "The Last Romantic: A Biography of Queen Marie of Roumania [sic]" by Hannah Pakula Munsey ––––––––––––––––––––– PONDS & JWT –––––––––––––––––––––– Page 19 (Fig. 20. Queen Marie of Romania) SELECTED REFERENCES Internet reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_of_Romania "150 years of beauty…and counting." Chesebrough-Pond's World, Fall 1996. Dorman, Evelyn S. "Pond's." Encyclopedia of Consumer Brands, vol. 2. Detroit: St. James Press, 1994. Gartrell, Ellen. More about the Ponds Collection. Emergence of advertising in America. (2001) htpp:scriptorium.lib.dduke.eedu.hartman/ J. Walter Thompson Company Archives, Duke University Library. Account Files: Chesebrough-Pond's (various typescript account histories and summaries, 1923-1935). Munsey ––––––––––––––––––––– PONDS & JWT –––––––––––––––––––––– Page 20 Munsey, Cecil. Illustrated Guide to COLLECTING BOTTLES. Hawthorn Books, Inc. , New York City, 1970. Nickell, Joe. Peddling Snake Oil. (1998) http://www.csicop.rg/sb/snakeoil.html Peiss, Kathy. Hope in a jar: the making of America's beauty culture. New York: Metropolitan Books, 1998. The Story of Chesebrough-Pond's Inc. NY: Chesebrough-Pond's, ca. 1964. FAIR USE NOTICE Fair use notice: Some material in this article was originally published by the sources above and is copyrighted. It is offered here as an educational tool to increase further understanding and discussion of bottle collecting and related history. It is believed that this constitutes “fair use” of the copyrighted material as provided for in Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this material for purposes of your own that go beyond “fair use,” you must obtain permission from the copyright owner(s). WEBSITE CONTACT INFORMATION http://www.CecilMunsey.com More than 1,000 free-to-copy well-researched articles and other materials of interest to bottle collectors and historians Cecil Munsey, PhD 13541 Willow Run Road Poway, CA 92064-1733 Phone: 858-487-7036 Email: [email protected] Munsey ––––––––––––––––––––– PONDS & JWT –––––––––––––––––––––– Page 21 INTERNET AFFINITY Affinity notice: The author of the material featured on (http://www.CecilMunsey.com) uses and contributes to the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. which is a nonprofit charitable organization dedicated to encouraging the growth, development and distribution of free, multilingual content, and to providing the full content of these wiki-based projects to the public free of charge. The Wikimedia Foundation operates some of the largest collaboratively edited reference projects in the world, including Wikipedia Commons (http://www.wikipedia.org), fourth most visited website in the world. It also operates Wikimedia Commons a multimedia repository that hosts over 4,500,000 multimedia files.] # # # # #