Charmin
The Charmin Logo
Product typeToilet paper
OwnerProcter & Gamble
CountryUnited States
Introduced1928 (1928)
Related brandsBounty, Puffs, Pampers
MarketsNorth America
Ambassador(s)Mr. Whipple (Dick Wilson)
Tagline"Enjoy the go"
Websitewww.charmin.com

Charmin (/ˈʃɑːrmɪn/ SHAR-min) is an American brand of toilet paper manufactured by Procter & Gamble.

History

The Charmin name was first created on April 19, 1928, by the Hoberg Paper Company in Green Bay, Wisconsin. In 1950, Hoberg changed its name to Charmin Paper Company and continued to produce bath tissue, paper napkins, and other paper products. Procter & Gamble (P&G) acquired Charmin Paper Company in 1957.[1] Charmin Ultra was originally called White Cloud until 1993.[2]

In 2008, P&G sold the European operations and product line to SCA, where it was renamed to Cushelle.[3]

Advertising

Originally, the manufacturer wanted to emphasize the product's softness, but did not know how to convey the idea of that physical sensation on television. The company's advertising agency suggested that shoppers be encouraged to squeeze the product in stores like a grocery shopper would squeeze a tomato to assess its softness, but there was some concern that retailers would object to customers manhandling their merchandise and thus damaging it before purchase. The problem was solved with the concept that the handling would be actively discouraged by a comic antagonistic retailer in the advertisements.[4] In an advertising campaign that lasted over twenty years, American advertisements featured actor Dick Wilson, playing the fictional grocer Mr. George Whipple.[5] Mr. Whipple told his customers: "Please don't squeeze the Charmin!", emphasizing its softness in more than 500 advertisements between 1964 and 1985,[6] and later returning in 1999–2000.

The country song "Don't Squeeze My Sharmon", which was a minor hit for Charlie Walker in 1967, was inspired by the ad campaign for Charmin.

Mascots

In 1928, the logo mascot was a female silhouette,[7] supplemented by a baby in 1953, replacing the woman by 1956.[8]

In advertisements, Mr. Whipple was eventually replaced with "The Charmin Bear", created by D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles in Britain and introduced to the United States in 2000.[9] The original bear was not 3D-animated and had a light brown/tan color.

In 2001, three cubs were added to the family, and by 2007, a blue bear was introduced for the "soft" brand and a red bear for the "strong" brand.[10] The bear later became part of the packaging, replacing the baby in 2004.

The new animated advertising campaign was called "Call of Nature".[11]

In 2010, the company changed the logo to add flecks of toilet paper to the bears in the logo.[12]

The "Charmin Bears"[13] is a collective family of parents and children.[14] Initially there was just one family of brown bears, with Leonard the Bear[15] accompanied by Molly,[16] Bill,[17] Amy and Dylan.[18] This was later split into distinct families of bears: five blue ones called the "Charmin Ultra Soft Family" and five red ones called the "Charmin Ultra Strong Family".[19]

Environmental impact

In February 2009,[20] Greenpeace advised consumers not to use Charmin toilet paper, stating that it is bad for the environment.[21]

As of 2018, Charmin is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and the Rainforest Alliance.[22]

The NRDC and stand.earth issued a report in 2019 saying that Charmin toilet paper was still being sourced from 100 percent virgin trees, many of them from Canada's boreal forest.[23] By November 2019, NRDC claimed that 201,000 people had signed its petition to Procter & Gamble asking the company to change its practices.[24]

Design

Comparison of former (left) and current (right) designs of Charmin Ultra Soft toilet paper

In October 2023, P&G introduced a design of Charmin Ultra Soft toilet paper with scalloped edges[25] in response to complaints about the former toilet paper design—which was composed of squares with straight edges—not tearing smoothly.[26]

References

  1. ↑ Davis, Dyer; et al. (May 1, 2004). Rising Tide: Lessons from 165 Years of Brand Building at Procter and Gamble. Harvard Business Press. p. 421. ISBN 9781591391470. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
  2. ↑ Elliot, Stuart (6 May 1993). "P.& G. Sacrifices White Cloud in Battle of Brands". The New York Times. White Cloud will be rechristened Charmin Ultra
  3. ↑ Baker, Rosie (2010-01-25). "Charmin rebrands to Cushelle". Marketing Week. Archived from the original on 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2023-06-22.
  4. ↑ O'Reilly, Terry (14 February 2016). "Small Move, Big Gain". Under the Influence. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 14 February 2016.
  5. ↑ Cross, Mary (2002). A Century of American Icons: 100 Products and Slogans from the 20th-Century Consumer Culture. Greenwood Press. pp. 140–141. ISBN 978-0313314810. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  6. ↑ "The Associated Press: Actor Who Played Mr. Whipple Dies". Archived from the original on 2007-11-21. Retrieved 2007-11-19. Associated Press report, November 19, 2007 ("Wilson appeared in over 500 commercials for Charmin between 1964 and 1985"), accessed same day.
  7. ↑ "Great Moments in Toilet Paper History". ABC News. 23 April 2002. 1928: From Charming to Charmin—Hoberg paper introduces Charmin. The logo—a woman's head from a cameo pin—was designed to appeal to feminine fashions of the day. A female employee called the packaging 'charming', and the product's brand name was born.
  8. ↑ Engber, Daniel (19 September 2011). "What Do Bears Have To Do With Toilet Paper?". Slate Magazine. The Charmin brand got its start in 1928 with a woman's cameo silhouette on the package ... In 1953, Charmin further softened its image by placing a baby alongside the woman. In 1956, the Charmin Lady was bounced altogether, leaving the baby to fend for itself as the brand icon.
  9. ↑ Levere, Jane (17 July 2003). "An animated soap drop with sales experience in Latin America is being put to work in the U.S." The New York Times. The Charmin bear, which Procter & Gamble has used since 2000 in United States campaigns for Charmin toilet paper, originated in Britain.
  10. ↑ "Charmin Story". Charmin.com. Archived from the original on 12 April 2016. 2001—The Charmin animated bears welcomed three bear cubs to the family ... 2007 ... The 'Call of Nature' bear campaign featured a red bear for Charmin Ultra Strong and a blue bear for Charmin Ultra Soft.
  11. ↑ "History Of Toilet Paper". Charmin.com. Archived from the original on 14 August 2015. In the 1950s, Hoberg changed their name to the Charmin Paper Company. Charmin changed the 'Charmin lady' on the packaging to the 'Charmin baby' to symbolize the ultimate in softness. This would be followed by the famous ad campaign of the [1960s and 1970s] admonishing women and men around the country with 'don't squeeze the Charmin!' to highlight the paper's tempting squeezability. Ultimately, the company landed on a campaign called 'Call of Nature' featuring an outspoken family of animated bears who are unafraid of talking about 'the go' and how to enjoy it.
  12. ↑ Neff, Jack (12 August 2010). "NAD to Charmin: No Bare Bear Bottoms". Advertising Age. P&G Must Show Some Pieces of TP on Bruin's Bums
  13. ↑ "Can the Charmin Bears Get Through Airport Security?". Advertising Age. 2 July 2014. Among the new releases, Charmin's family of bears makes its way through airport security
  14. ↑ Butnik, Stephanie (13 August 2013). "Charmin Bear Reads Kafka's 'The Metamorphosis' on the Toilet in New Ad". Tablet Magazine. the Charmin ads featuring the family of bears whose little ones seem to always be getting toilet paper stuck to their bottoms
  15. ↑ Brown, Stephen (17 August 2016). Brands and Branding. SAGE. p. 72. ISBN 9781473988040. Charmin's brand mascot, Leonard the Bear
  16. ↑ @Charmin (April 27, 2015). "There was free Wi-Fi on the flight, so Molly was able to #tweetfromtheseat" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 20 January 2017 – via Twitter.
  17. ↑ @Charmin (April 27, 2015). "In the car on their way to visit Bill, the family belts out the classic '99 rolls of TP in the Stall.'" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 20 January 2017 – via Twitter.
  18. ↑ Heller, Steven (3 January 2017). Graphic Design Rants and Raves: Bon Mots on Persuasion, Entertainment, Education, Culture, and Practice. Skyhorse Publishing, Inc. p. 207. ISBN 9781621535393. Whoever thought of the Charmin Bears (named Molly, Leonard, Bill, Amy, and Dylan, for the record) understood that cute adds wit to the bodily function conversation.
  19. ↑ "Meet the Charmin Iconic Bears". Charmin.com. Archived from the original on 9 April 2015.
  20. ↑ Nastu, Paul (February 25, 2009). "Greenpeace Releases Latest Recycled Tissue and Toilet Paper Guide" (Press release). Greenpeace. Archived from the original on 13 November 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  21. ↑ "Greenpeace Recycled Tissue and Toilet Paper Guide". Greenpeace. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-03-02. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  22. ↑ "Charmin Toilet Paper & FlushableWipes | Sustainability". www.charmin.com. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
  23. ↑ "The Issue with Tissue: How Americans Are Flushing Forests Down the Toilet". Natural Resources Defense Council. 8 October 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  24. ↑ "Tell Charmin: Nature's Calling, and She Wants Her Forests Back!". NRDC. 8 October 2019. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
  25. ↑ Snider, Mike (4 October 2023). "Charmin Changes up its Toilet Paper, Trading in Straight Perforations for Wavy Tears". USA Today. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  26. ↑ Tyko, Kelly; Bomey, Nathan (17 October 2023). "Charmin Rolls Out New Toilet Paper Rip-Off Technology". Axios. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
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