Mennen
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| Current owner | Colgate-Palmolive |
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| Country of origin |  United States |
| Markets | world |
| Previous owners | 1878 - Mennen Company 1992 - Colgate |
Mennen is a brand of the Colgate-Palmolive Company. Its most notable product, Mennen Speed Stick, with its fougère perfume and green wide stick, was the market leader among deodorants 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 1980s.
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[edit] History
The Mennen Company was started in 1878, at Newark, New Jersey, moving to Morristown, New Jersey in 1953, where it manufactured and sold many over-the-counter pharmaceuticals and personal products such as the Skin Bracer, Speed Stick (launched approximately 1954), 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, with his first product being talcum based powder, which was a real innovation at the time. His grandnephew, G. Mennen Williams, would go on to serve as Governor of Michigan from 1949-1961.
By Mennen was one of the most successful marketing slogans considering its simplicity. The associated jingle, written by Doug Katsaros, was notable for containing just three notes and ending each television commercial for Mennen products.
The company was led by several generations of the Mennen family before being sold to Colgate by the family in 1992. Today none of the Mennen family are involved in the company or its now parent.
Visitors to the Harper's Ferry National Park often notice a giant advertisement painted on the rock face of Maryland Heights. While faded and hard to read today, it reads "Mennen's Borated Talcum Toilet Powder" and was originally painted sometime between 1903 and 1906.
[edit] 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 Bracer 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 International, Inc.
[edit] References
Harper's Ferry National Park FAQ [1]
