Mennen
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Mennen is now a brand of the Colgate-Palmolive Company. Its most notable product, Mennen Speed Stick, with its fougere 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 girl's deodorants during the early 1990s.
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[edit] History
The Mennen Company started in New York, moving to Morristown, New Jersey, approximately 1954, 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 smaller 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 grandson, 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 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 Bill and George Mennen in 1992, the last two brothers to own and run the family company. Today none of the Mennen family are involved in the company or its now parent. Bill and George Mennen were the last family members to have any meaningful involvement in the company before or after its sale.
[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.
