Duracell
 | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Industrial Electrical Equipment |
| Founded | Child company of Procter and Gamble |
| Headquarters | Bethel, Connecticut |
| Products | Duracell Batteries |
| Website | www.duracell.com |
Duracell is a brand of batteries manufactured by Procter and Gamble.
Additionally, Duracell owns the Procell professional-use brand.[1]
Products
Duracell manufactures alkaline batteries in many common sizes, such as AAA, AA, C, D, and 9V. Lesser used sizes such as AAAA (primarily for pagers, penlights and blood glucose meters) and J size batteries (for hospital devices) are also manufactured along with a range of "button" batteries using Zinc-air chemistry, used in calculators, hearing aids and other small (mostly medical related) devices.
Duracell also manufactures specialty batteries, including NiMH rechargeable batteries and batteries for cameras, watches, hearing aids, etc. Their two main battery brands are "Coppertop", marketed as longer-lasting, and "Ultra", directed mainly at users of digital devices and devices that need more power. The Coppertop and Ultra brands of batteries use the alkaline-manganese dioxide chemistry. Duracell also has a line of lithium chemistry batteries and products, now manufactured outside of the U.S.
In recent years, Duracell's innovations expanded to include new battery designs with their prismatic batteries, which are prismatic in shape rather than cylindrical. Prismatic cells were made available in both alkaline and lithium designs. In 2006, Duracell introduced "Power PixTM" batteries with metal hydroxy technology, designed to supply longer life in digital cameras and other high drain devices by up to twice the number of photos typically achievable with alkaline batteries.
Duracell batteries are also bulk packaged for end users under the brand name Procell.
Business
Duracell introduced many battery formats, including AAA (R03) in the 1950s and AA (R6 Penlight) in 1960. It merged with Gillette in 1996, and became part of Procter & Gamble when P&G acquired Gillette in 2005. Duracell's main competitor is the Energizer battery brand. Duracell continues to have manufacturing facilities in the U.S. (primarily in the southeast) and in Asia and Europe. Duracell's global headquarters is located in Bethel, Connecticut, about an hour from New York City.
History
Duracell originated via the partnership of scientist Samuel Ruben and businessman Philip Rogers Mallory, who met during the 1920s. The P.R. Mallory Company produced mercury cells for military equipment use, trumping the Zn-air battery technology used then in virtually all applications. During the late 1970s, when the company's concerns for the now-known effects of mercury began, mercury quickly became an obsolete ingredient in all their manufacturing processes. It was replaced by alkaline technology.
During the 1950s Kodak introduced cameras with integral flash: the design required a new cell size and thus size AAA was developed.
In 1964 the term "Duracell" was formally introduced as a brand. The name is a portmanteau for "durable cell". The Mallory battery line was retired in 1978.
In popular culture
 | This article contains a list of miscellaneous information. (July 2007) |
- In the video game Pikmin 2 for the Nintendo GameCube, a Duracell battery appears as the very first collectable item. Another smaller Proton AA is found very later on.
- A Duracell battery appears in The Matrix, when Morpheus uses one to explain to Neo that humans are being used as a power supply. The term "copper top" is used as a somewhat derogatory reference to humans plugged into the Matrix, referencing the appearance of the Duracell battery. The trademark bell from Duracell's TV ads is also played.
- Duracell is sometimes used as derogatory term for a person with red hair, particularly a redhead dressed entirely in black because of the distincitve design and colour of Duracell batteries.
- Weird Al Yankovic makes fun of Duracell in his song I'll Sue Ya by saying: "I sued Duracell, they never told me not to shove that Double A (AA) right up my nose."
- In another Weird Al song, Hardware Store, both Duracell and Energizer (Duracell's strongest competitor) batteries are mentioned as things sold at the hardware store.
- In many countries around the world Duracell TV commercials feature the Duracell Bunny, this concept would inspire the Energizer Bunny, initially as a form of parody.
References
- ^ "Products". Duracell corporate site (Procter & Gamble). Retrieved 2007-05-11.