Ajax cleanser
Encyclopedia
Ajax (ˈ) is a brand of cleaning products, introduced by Colgate-Palmolive
in 1947 for a powdered household and industrial cleaner. It was one of the company's first major brands.
The Ajax name was successfully transferred to an entire line of household cleaning products and detergents; the line enjoyed its greatest success in the 1960s and early 70s. Ajax All-Purpose Cleaner with Ammonia, introduced in 1962, was the first major competitor to Mr. Clean, which Procter and Gamble debuted in 1958. Ajax' success as the so-called "White Tornado" forced Procter and Gamble to introduce its own ammoniated cleaner, Top Job, in 1963.
Other Ajax products included Ajax Bucket of Powder, an ammonia
ted power floor cleaner, introduced in 1943; Ajax Laundry Detergent in 1964; Ajax Window Cleaner with Hex ammonia in 1965, and a short-lived spray cleaner in 1960. The last successful Ajax line extension in North America, Ajax for Dishes, debuted in 1971; now known as Ajax Dishwashing Liquid, it and the flagship powdered cleanser are the only two Ajax products sold to consumers by Colgate in the US. The brand name continues on a line of industrial detergents, cleaners and disinfectants. Colgate-Palmolive Company sold the US and Canadian rights to the Ajax brand name on laundry detergents, as well as to other laundry products as Fab and Cold Power
, to Phoenix Brands in 2005.
Ajax Laundry Detergent was available in a liquid formula, with and without bleach, beginning in the mid 1980s.
Three Ajax Spray n' Wipe products (an all-purpose cleaner, a bathroom cleaner, and a window cleaner) are well-known in Australia
& New Zealand
, where they are among the market leaders.
for Ajax powder was "Stronger than dirt!". This was a reference to the muscular character Ajax
of Greek mythology. However, the name Ajax may also reference an old British name for toilet
, "the jakes". Another early slogan was "Ajax.. the foaming cleanser!"
The first slogan would be used again for its Ajax Laundry Detergent, when introduced in the early 1960s, with an armed knight riding a white horse. At the end of The Doors
song Touch Me (the doors song)
, Jim Morrison
can be heard saying the slogan "Stronger Than Dirt". A widely mocked commercial in the late 1970s and early 1980s declared, "Armed...with Ajax!"
US actor Eugene Roche
gained household fame as Ajax man, "Squeaky Clean", in 1970s television commercials.
In the UK, character actress Ann Lancaster
appeared on television advertisements featuring the slogan "It cleans like a white tornado". However, Colgate ceased all UK advertising for the brand in 1996.
In Australia, a number of memorable, if widely panned, television commercials were produced for Ajax Spray n' Wipe from around 1988 to 2010, which were all accompanied with the same music, and featured soap
actress Paula Duncan
and the same family members.
Colgate-Palmolive
Colgate-Palmolive Company is an American diversified multinational corporation focused on the production, distribution and provision of household, health care and personal products, such as soaps, detergents, and oral hygiene products . Under its "Hill's" brand, it is also a manufacturer of...
in 1947 for a powdered household and industrial cleaner. It was one of the company's first major brands.
The Ajax name was successfully transferred to an entire line of household cleaning products and detergents; the line enjoyed its greatest success in the 1960s and early 70s. Ajax All-Purpose Cleaner with Ammonia, introduced in 1962, was the first major competitor to Mr. Clean, which Procter and Gamble debuted in 1958. Ajax' success as the so-called "White Tornado" forced Procter and Gamble to introduce its own ammoniated cleaner, Top Job, in 1963.
Other Ajax products included Ajax Bucket of Powder, an ammonia
Ammonia
Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . It is a colourless gas with a characteristic pungent odour. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to food and fertilizers. Ammonia, either directly or...
ted power floor cleaner, introduced in 1943; Ajax Laundry Detergent in 1964; Ajax Window Cleaner with Hex ammonia in 1965, and a short-lived spray cleaner in 1960. The last successful Ajax line extension in North America, Ajax for Dishes, debuted in 1971; now known as Ajax Dishwashing Liquid, it and the flagship powdered cleanser are the only two Ajax products sold to consumers by Colgate in the US. The brand name continues on a line of industrial detergents, cleaners and disinfectants. Colgate-Palmolive Company sold the US and Canadian rights to the Ajax brand name on laundry detergents, as well as to other laundry products as Fab and Cold Power
Cold Power
Cold Power is a brand of laundry detergent made by Colgate-Palmolive. It was sold in the United States during the 1960s and into the early 1970s, but the brand was discontinued due to lagging sales. The brand is still being sold in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and many other countries...
, to Phoenix Brands in 2005.
Ajax Laundry Detergent was available in a liquid formula, with and without bleach, beginning in the mid 1980s.
Three Ajax Spray n' Wipe products (an all-purpose cleaner, a bathroom cleaner, and a window cleaner) are well-known in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
& New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, where they are among the market leaders.
Advertising
The original sloganSlogan
A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
for Ajax powder was "Stronger than dirt!". This was a reference to the muscular character Ajax
Ajax (mythology)
Ajax or Aias was a mythological Greek hero, the son of Telamon and Periboea and king of Salamis. He plays an important role in Homer's Iliad and in the Epic Cycle, a series of epic poems about the Trojan War. To distinguish him from Ajax, son of Oileus , he is called "Telamonian Ajax," "Greater...
of Greek mythology. However, the name Ajax may also reference an old British name for toilet
Toilet
A toilet is a sanitation fixture used primarily for the disposal of human excrement, often found in a small room referred to as a toilet/bathroom/lavatory...
, "the jakes". Another early slogan was "Ajax.. the foaming cleanser!"
The first slogan would be used again for its Ajax Laundry Detergent, when introduced in the early 1960s, with an armed knight riding a white horse. At the end of The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
song Touch Me (the doors song)
Touch Me
Touch Me may refer to:* Touch Me , an arcade game created by Atari* Touch Me , a novel by James Moloney* Touch Me , a 1997 romantic drama starring Amanda Peet* Touch Me , a Tamil film of 2005-Albums:...
, Jim Morrison
Jim Morrison
James Douglas "Jim" Morrison was an American musician, singer, and poet, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the rock band The Doors...
can be heard saying the slogan "Stronger Than Dirt". A widely mocked commercial in the late 1970s and early 1980s declared, "Armed...with Ajax!"
US actor Eugene Roche
Eugene Roche
Eugene Harrison Roche was an American actor . He was the original "Ajax Man" in 1970s television commercials.-Personal life:...
gained household fame as Ajax man, "Squeaky Clean", in 1970s television commercials.
In the UK, character actress Ann Lancaster
Ann Lancaster
Ann Lancaster was a well-known character actress who appeared in many British films, television shows and in the theatre. She specialised in comic roles. She had a talent for voices and often used this on radio to portray children. She also used her talent to do voiceovers on television...
appeared on television advertisements featuring the slogan "It cleans like a white tornado". However, Colgate ceased all UK advertising for the brand in 1996.
In Australia, a number of memorable, if widely panned, television commercials were produced for Ajax Spray n' Wipe from around 1988 to 2010, which were all accompanied with the same music, and featured soap
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
actress Paula Duncan
Paula Duncan
Paula Margaret Duncan is an Australian actress. She is prominent mainly in the genre of soap opera. Her sister is fellow soap actress Carmen Duncan....
and the same family members.
External links
- Ajax product page on Colgate consumer website