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The first two are fine by me. Sadly a lot of the teens I meet (younger siblings) think that soaking themselves in Axe means they don't smell. With a history li

by hfsktr 13y ago

The first two are fine by me. Sadly a lot of the teens I meet (younger siblings) think that soaking themselves in Axe means they don't smell. With a history like Listerine's I'm surprised I've never come across a chain email about it [1 (the margarine section)]. [1] http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/butter.asp http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/butter.asp

jonnathanson 13y ago
Listerine makes for a great business case study, as does the history of deodorant and antiperspirant. In both cases, these were examples of "building something people want" by way of manufacturing the "problems" the products were solving. And yet, I still use Listerine and antiperspirant every day. Because we live in a society where these things are normal, and not using them would feel weird (and cause offense). We've been thoroughly convinced that the natural state of the human body is disgusting and offensive -- but we can't go back. It's kind of fascinating.
- gohrt 13y ago
  That's a ridiculous claim. That's like saying that Alice Parker didn't invent a furnace, she invented feeling cold. Listerine didn't invent bad breath, they invented a solution.
  - jonnathanson 13y ago
    "Listerine didn't invent bad breath, they invented a solution." I think you're misreading me slightly. I didn't say Listerine "invented bad breath." I said, by way of linking the article, that they made "chronic halitosis" into something more than what it really was. They took what had been a relatively obscure medical condition and convinced everyone that they had it, thereby convincing consumers of a need for mouthwash that hadn't really existed before. For the vast majority of the population, bad breath can be solved by brushing one's teeth and staying hydrated. Listerine, through an admittedly brilliant marketing campaign, convinced people that they needed to take things a step further -- that oral hygiene was somehow incomplete without mouthwash.

by hfsktr 13y ago

jonnathanson 13y ago

Listerine makes for a great business case study, as does the history of deodorant and antiperspirant. In both cases, these were examples of "building something people want" by way of manufacturing the "problems" the products were solving. And yet, I still use Listerine and antiperspirant every day. Because we live in a society where these things are normal, and not using them would feel weird (and cause offense). We've been thoroughly convinced that the natural state of the human body is disgusting and offensive -- but we can't go back. It's kind of fascinating.

gohrt 13y ago
That's a ridiculous claim. That's like saying that Alice Parker didn't invent a furnace, she invented feeling cold. Listerine didn't invent bad breath, they invented a solution.
- jonnathanson 13y ago
  "Listerine didn't invent bad breath, they invented a solution." I think you're misreading me slightly. I didn't say Listerine "invented bad breath." I said, by way of linking the article, that they made "chronic halitosis" into something more than what it really was. They took what had been a relatively obscure medical condition and convinced everyone that they had it, thereby convincing consumers of a need for mouthwash that hadn't really existed before. For the vast majority of the population, bad breath can be solved by brushing one's teeth and staying hydrated. Listerine, through an admittedly brilliant marketing campaign, convinced people that they needed to take things a step further -- that oral hygiene was somehow incomplete without mouthwash.