Crest (toothpaste)

Crest
Product type Toothpaste
Owner Procter & Gamble
Country U.S., Canada
Introduced 1955
Markets Worldwide
Website www.crest.com

Crest is a brand of toothpaste made by Procter & Gamble in the United States and sold worldwide. In many countries in Europe, such as Germany, Bulgaria, Serbia, Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Hungary, Latvia and Romania, it is sold as Blend-A-Med, the name of an established German toothpaste acquired by P&G in 1987 (formerly Blendax GmbH, located in Mainz, Germany). In France, Sweden, Finland, Argentina, Belgium, the Netherlands, Brazil, the UK, Ireland, Nigeria and Colombia, P&G markets similar formulations under the Oral-B brand.[1]

History

Crest was introduced in the United States in 1953. At first it used stannous fluoride, marketed as "Fluoristan" (this was also the original brand name it was sold under when first introduced in 1954—the name of the product was later changed from "Fluoristan" to "Crest with Fluoristan").[2][3][4] The composition of the toothpaste had been developed by Drs. Muhler, Harry Day, and William H. Nebergall at Indiana University, and was patented by Nebergall. Procter & Gamble paid royalties from use of the patent and thus financed a new dental research institute at this university ("The House that Crest built").[5][6][7] The active ingredient of Crest was changed in 1981 to sodium monofluorophosphate, or "Fluoristat". Today Crest toothpastes use sodium fluoride, or "Dentifrice with Fluoristat"; Crest Pro-Health, recently introduced to the market, uses stannous fluoride again and an abrasive whitener together called "Polyfluorite". Crest is accepted by the American Dental Association (ADA)[8][9] as well as by equivalent dental associations in other countries.

One notable ad campaign from the brand was in the late 1970s and early 1980s, where animated ads featured the Cavity Creeps, a group of grey-colored, rocky humanoid creatures bent on destroying the city of "Toothopolis" (essentially an island city protected by an enormous wall of teeth), with their signature battle cry "We Make, Holes In Teeth!" They were defeated time and again by the "Crest Team", a group of people dressed in Crest-themed jumpsuits, who wielded giant toothbrushes and tubes of Crest to not only ward off the Cavity Creeps, but to protect the wall as well. The team would encourage kids at the end of each commercial to "watch treats and see your dentist" so they could fight cavities "like the Crest Team". This ad campaign has been parodied and referenced over the years, including South Park, during Imaginationland Episode III, where the Cavity Creeps are seen amongst the evil characters.

The Crest brand has also been associated with about twenty brands of dental care products, including toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, dental floss, as well as a tooth-whitening product called Crest Whitestrips. Examples of toothpastes include Crest Pro Health, Crest 3D White, Crest Tartar Protection, Crest Whitening and Scope flavored toothpaste.[10] From 2004 to 2010, Crest sold dental floss under the Crest Glide brand, which is now called Oral-B Glide. The original Crest logo was designed by Donald Deskey.

Timeline

References

  1. ↑ Fact Sheet Oral-B Pro Expert
  2. ↑ "Worlds Most Favorite Personal Care Brands".
  3. ↑ http://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Publications/Files/July_JADA_Centennial_Commentary.ashx
  4. ↑ P&G - Crest Toothpaste - The Fell Family - Vintage Commercial - 1950's. February 8, 2013 – via YouTube.
  5. ↑ Harry G. Day: Development of Chemistry at Indiana University in Bloomington 1829–1991, Bloomington 1992, pp. 355, 463–71
  6. ↑ Davis Dyer et al. Rising Tide: Lessons from 165 Years of Brand Building at Procter and Gamble, Procter & Gamble Co. 2004
  7. ↑ Indiana University homepage Accessed January 31, 2009
  8. ↑ "ADA Seal Product Report". Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  9. ↑ Dyer, Davis; et al. (May 1, 2004). Rising Tide: Lessons from 165 Years of Brand Building at Procter and Gamble. Harvard Business Press. p. 280. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
  10. ↑ "Crest Dental Hygiene Products Including Toothpaste, Toothbrush, Mouthwash and Teeth Whitening". Crest.com. June 12, 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-20.

External links

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