Mennen
Encyclopedia
Mennen is a brand owned in most parts of the world by the Colgate-Palmolive
Company. Its most notable product, Mennen Speed Stick
, with its fougère
perfume
and green wide stick, was the market leader among deodorant
s and antiperspirants for men for many years. It was also noted for its Teen Spirit
deodorant, which was the leader in teenage girls' deodorants during the early 1990s.
In France
, the Mennen branding is owned by L'Oréal
through its Mennen-LASCAD subsidiary, for a line of men's grooming products.
in 1953, where it manufactured and sold over-the-counter
pharmaceuticals and personal products such as the Skin Bracer
, Speed Stick
, and Baby Magic
products. Lady Speed Stick was a foray into the women's market, and was a huge success due to its shape, which fit a woman's hand, and fragrances. Mennen was founded by Gerhard Heinrich Mennen, an immigrant from Germany
. His first product was talcum-based powder, an innovation at the time. His grandson, G. Mennen Williams
, served as Governor of Michigan
from 1949-1961.
By Mennen was a successful marketing slogan considering its simplicity. The associated jingle, written by Doug Katsaros, contained just three notes, and ended each television commercial for Mennen products.
The company was led by several generations of the Mennen family before being sold to Colgate in 1992. Today none of the Mennen family is involved in the company or its current parent.
At Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
is a giant advertisement painted on the rock face of Maryland Heights
. While faded and indistinct today, it reads "Mennen's Borated Talcum Toilet Powder" and was painted between 1903 and 1906.
and Afta are still being marketed as being "by Mennen," where the name is still well-known and holds positive connotations. The Baby Magic
line was sold to Playtex
, who has since sold the brand to Naterra; Colgate-Palmolive retained the Baby Magic branding (as Baby Magic Mennen) for the Latin American market.
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...
Company. Its most notable product, Mennen Speed Stick
Speed Stick
Speed Stick is a brand of deodorant/antiperspirant that, as the name suggests, comes in stick form. The product is owned by its parent company, Colgate-Palmolive. It was formerly known as "Mennen Speed Stick" prior to Colgate-Palmolive's purchase of The Mennen Company. Currently, the products...
, with its fougère
Fougère
Fougère, , meaning "fern-like", is one of the main families into which modern perfumes are classified, with the name derived from the perfume Fougère Royale for Houbigant formulated by the perfumer Paul Parquet. The class of fragrances have the basic accord with a top-note of lavender and...
perfume
Perfume
Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and/or aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents used to give the human body, animals, objects, and living spaces "a pleasant scent"...
and green wide stick, was the market leader among deodorant
Deodorant
Deodorants are substances applied to the body to affect body odor caused by bacterial growth and the smell associated with bacterial breakdown of perspiration in armpits, feet and other areas of the body. A subgroup of deodorants, antiperspirants, affect odor as well as prevent sweating by...
s and antiperspirants for men for many years. It was also noted for its Teen Spirit
Teen Spirit (deodorant)
Teen Spirit is an anti-perspirant, originally sold by Mennen until the company was acquired by Colgate-Palmolive in 1992. The Teen Spirit line of products steadily lost popularity after its peak in the early 1990s...
deodorant, which was the leader in teenage girls' deodorants during the early 1990s.
In France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, the Mennen branding is owned by L'Oréal
L'Oréal
The L'Oréal Group is the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company. With its registered office in Paris and head office in the Paris suburb of Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France, it has developed activities in the field of cosmetics...
through its Mennen-LASCAD subsidiary, for a line of men's grooming products.
History
The Mennen Company was started in 1878, at Newark, New Jersey, moving to Morristown, New JerseyMorristown, New Jersey
Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the...
in 1953, where it manufactured and sold over-the-counter
Over-the-counter drug
Over-the-counter drugs are medicines that may be sold directly to a consumer without a prescription from a healthcare professional, as compared to prescription drugs, which may be sold only to consumers possessing a valid prescription...
pharmaceuticals and personal products such as the Skin Bracer
Skin Bracer
Skin Bracer is an aftershave lotion created by Mennen and manufactured by Colgate-Palmolive....
, Speed Stick
Speed Stick
Speed Stick is a brand of deodorant/antiperspirant that, as the name suggests, comes in stick form. The product is owned by its parent company, Colgate-Palmolive. It was formerly known as "Mennen Speed Stick" prior to Colgate-Palmolive's purchase of The Mennen Company. Currently, the products...
, and Baby Magic
Baby Magic
Baby Magic is a brand name of baby care products marketed by Naterra in the United States. The brand has traditionally included baby-care items such as baby shampoo, baby lotion, baby soaps, and diaper wipes. In Mexico and Latin America, the brand is marketed by Colgate-Palmolive as Baby Magic...
products. Lady Speed Stick was a foray into the women's market, and was a huge success due to its shape, which fit a woman's hand, and fragrances. Mennen was founded by Gerhard Heinrich Mennen, an immigrant from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. His first product was talcum-based powder, an innovation at the time. His grandson, G. Mennen Williams
G. Mennen Williams
Gerhard Mennen "Soapy" Williams, , was a politician from the US state of Michigan. An heir to a personal grooming products fortune, he was known as "Soapy," and wore a trademark green bow tie with white polka dots....
, served as Governor of Michigan
Governor of Michigan
The Governor of Michigan is the chief executive of the U.S. State of Michigan. The current Governor is Rick Snyder, a member of the Republican Party.-Gubernatorial elections and term of office:...
from 1949-1961.
By Mennen was a successful marketing slogan considering its simplicity. The associated jingle, written by Doug Katsaros, contained just three notes, and ended each television commercial for Mennen products.
The company was led by several generations of the Mennen family before being sold to Colgate in 1992. Today none of the Mennen family is involved in the company or its current parent.
At Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park is located at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers in and around Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. The park includes land in Jefferson County, West Virginia; Washington County, Maryland and Loudoun County, Virginia. The park is managed by the...
is a giant advertisement painted on the rock face of Maryland Heights
Elk Ridge (Maryland)
Elk Ridge is a mountain ridge of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Maryland. The ridge is located to the west of South Mountain and runs roughly parallel to it from Rohrersville, in the north, to the Potomac River across from Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, in the south. Across the Potomac the ridge...
. While faded and indistinct today, it reads "Mennen's Borated Talcum Toilet Powder" and was painted between 1903 and 1906.
Today
Today, the name Mennen is being phased out in some regions and products in many countries are becoming known simply as Speed Stick or Lady Speed Stick. In North America, both products, as well as Skin BracerSkin Bracer
Skin Bracer is an aftershave lotion created by Mennen and manufactured by Colgate-Palmolive....
and Afta are still being marketed as being "by Mennen," where the name is still well-known and holds positive connotations. The Baby Magic
Baby Magic
Baby Magic is a brand name of baby care products marketed by Naterra in the United States. The brand has traditionally included baby-care items such as baby shampoo, baby lotion, baby soaps, and diaper wipes. In Mexico and Latin America, the brand is marketed by Colgate-Palmolive as Baby Magic...
line was sold to Playtex
Playtex
Playtex and PlayTex are a brand and trademark. It used to be associated with bras and women's undergarments. Currently there are two separate companies with the Playtex name....
, who has since sold the brand to Naterra; Colgate-Palmolive retained the Baby Magic branding (as Baby Magic Mennen) for the Latin American market.