Band-Aid
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Band-Aid is a brand name of American pharmaceutical and medical devices giant Johnson & Johnson's line of adhesive bandages and related products. It has also become a genericized trademark for any adhesive bandage in the United States, Australia, Brazil, Canada and India.[1]
The term "band-aid" has also entered usage as both a noun and verb describing a temporary fix. (e.g. "Band-aid solutions were used to fix the leak.")
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History
The Band-Aid was invented in 1920 by Johnson & Johnson employee Earle Dickson for his wife Josephine, who frequently cut and burned herself while cooking.[2] The prototype allowed her to dress her wounds without assistance. Dickson passed the idea on to his employer, which went on to produce and market the product as the Band-Aid. Dickson had a successful career at Johnson & Johnson, rising to vice president before his retirement in 1957.
Sold in packs of 15 for 2 cents,[citation needed] the original Band-Aids were handmade and not very popular. By 1924, Johnson & Johnson introduced a machine that produced sterilized Band-Aids. In World War II, millions were shipped overseas, helping popularize the product.
In 1951, the first decorative Band-Aids were introduced. They continue to be a commercial success today, with such themes such as Superman, Spider-Man, Hello Kitty, Rocket Power, Rugrats, smiley faces, Barbie, Dora the Explorer, and Batman.
Related J&J products
Johnson & Johnson also manufactures Band-Aid liquid bandages, Scar Healing bandages, and Burn-Aid, burn gel-impregnated bandages. Their newest products include Active Flex bandages and waterproof Tough Strips.
To protect the name their trademark, Johnson & Johnson always refer to their products as "Band-Aid brand" and not just Band-Aids.
Manufacturing facilities are located in Brazil and China.
References
- ^ For example, "band-aid" appears as a generic term in The Dangerous Book for Boys by Conn Iggulden and Hal Iggulden; see excerpts published by USA Today.
- ^ BAND-AID Brand Adhesive Bandages Beginnings
External links
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Look up band-aid in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
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