ADVERTISING BLOTTER, 'ANTISEPTIC ... IN AGAR PLATE TESTS, MENNEN ANTISEPTIC OIL COMPLETELY DESTROYS STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS ...', THE MENNEN CO.
Production date
1940
Production organisations
THE MENNEN CO.
Labels
Gerhard Mennen emigrated to the US from Germany and opened his first apothecary in 1878. He then began to make his own products, starting with Mennen Antiseptic borated powder, which was talc mixed with antiseptic and oil of roses. It was marketed as the first antiseptic baby powder, and was sold in a metal cylindrical container with a spin wheel cover- another innovation. This was closely followed by Mennen Antiseptic Oil, which was used on newborns.
Mennen was also an innovator when it came to marketing his products. He gave away pamphlets and items like these blotters for retailers to include with purchases. This blotter shows the results of laboratory tests to prove the effectiveness of the product. A lawn of bacteria is placed on an agar plate, a type of Petri dish, and a disc covered with the talc is placed at the centre of the plate. The plates are kept at a warm temperature overnight, and the bacteria grow. The dark area around the disc shows how far the antiseptic has prevented the bacteria from growing. This type of test is still used in laboratories to determine the effectiveness of antiseptics and antibiotics, once again showing the innovative way Mennen marketed his products.
