Slideshows

P&G Celebrates 185 Years of Household and Personal Care Innovations

Learn more about its leading brands like Ivory, Olay, Secret, Old Spice and more in this retrospective.

P&G Celebrates 185 Years of Household and Personal Care Innovations

A very Happi birthday to P&G who is turning 185 years young!

Vintage Gillette

King C. Gillette had the revolutionary idea of men shaving themselves safely at home with replaceable blades to achieve the look they desired. He diagrammed an improved razor and blade and never gave up on improving his idea.

Gillette in 2022

Today, the Gillette Labs razor with built-in exfoliation technology provides a shave as quick and easy as washing the face. P&G acquired Gillette in 2005.

Ivory Is The Original

Ivory was P&G’s first brand and 2-in-1 product; it was mild enough for personal cleansing, yet strong enough for laundry use.

Ivory Today

Ivory is still made without dyes, heavy perfumes, parabens, phthalates and silicones.

Secret Makes a Splash

Secret has been helping women bring out the best in themselves since 1956 when its first product was a cream.

Still Fresh

Secret has expanded with a variety of odor and wetness protection products. According to the company, expect new products for Spring 2022.

Vitamin-Packed Pantene

The name Pantene refers to the product’s origins, from panthenol, a form of vitamin B5. In 1945, panthenol was discovered to be a successful burn treatment as well as improving the health of one’s hair.

Pantene Today

Pantene remains a leading hair care brand with an extended portfolio for all hair types.

Oil of Olay

Graham Wulff created Olay for his wife to solve her need for an effective beauty fluid.

Best Face Forward

Today, Olay is the first mass skincare brand in the US to commit to zero skin retouching in all advertising, as women are constantly facing conflicting expectations about their outward appearance.

Top Secret Formula

“Head & Shoulders” was originally the code name for P&G’s secret project to create a superior anti-dandruff shampoo. The code name reflected the product benefits so well that it was ultimately decided to be the new brand’s formal name.

Head & Shoulders Today

Head & Shoulders remains on a mission to free the world from dandruff, a rising category in hair care. Its latest collection features Scalp Shield Technology that works 24 hours to fight flakes.

Did You Know...

...Old Spice was originally created for women? The first Old Spice product in 1937 was inspired by the inventor’s mother’s homemade potpourri that she kept in her home. The men’s line was added a year later along with the classic “buoy bottle” design.

Old Spice Today

After more than 80 years of experience, Old Spice is still grooming guys with deodorant, body wash, antiperspirant and fragrances.

By Melissa Meisel, Senior Editor 02.15.22

This year, Procter & Gamble is turning 185 years old. To celebrate, the leading Happi Top 50 company is showcasing its most memorable historical moments through a #PGHeritage series on social media.

According to P&G Company Historian and Corporate Storyteller Shane Meeker, in 1955 a P&G executive commented: “No company can afford the luxury of rediscovering its own prior knowledge.”

“Today, our rich 185-year history continues to inspire and guide our employees as they develop the unique solutions needed for the future,” said Meeker.

Happi obtained some historical photos and fun facts from Meeker about the household and personal care brand’s leading developments along the way, spanning from Ivory to Old Spice.