pond`s cream article

Munsey ––––––––––––––––––––– PONDS & JWT –––––––––––––––––––––– Page 1
FINAL DRAFT
Cecil Munsey, PhD
13541 Willow Run Road
Poway, CA 92064-1733
USA
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August 2010
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History (nostalgia)
POND’S CREAM
[A thick semisolid cosmetic preparation
applied to the skin that became a favorite of
European royalty and famous, wealthy American women]
&
JWT
(John Walter Thompson)
[One of the oldest, largest advertising agencies in the United States
and the fourth largest in the world]
(Fig. 1) –put on cover page: “Queen Marie of Romania (1875-1938) who, because of
Pond’s supposed ability to ‘soften’ and ‘whiten’ the skin, became the most important
spokesperson for Pond’s creams in the 1920s and ‘30s.”
Copyright © 2010
by
Cecil Munsey
Munsey ––––––––––––––––––––– PONDS & JWT –––––––––––––––––––––– Page 2
(Fig. 1. Queen Marie of Romania who was the most
important spokesperson for Pond's creams in the 1920s and '30sw)
Who hasn’t been on a bottle dig and not come home with several milk-glass cold
cream jars? Any serious bottle digger will tell you how easy that is to do – seems like
every dump has hundreds; maybe even thousands of the sometimes-rust-stained white
milk-glass jars used to contain one of Pond’s famous face creams (Fig. 2) or the few
other almost obscure brands of the time (Fig. 3) (Fig. 4) (Fig. 5) (Fig. 6). A good
example of another cream that was almost as famous as Pond’s is (Figs. 7, 8 & 8a) Dr.
Hebra’s Viola Cream of the 1890s that was made by G. C. Bittner & Co. of Toledo,
Ohio. It was widely advertised as “The greatest discovery of the present century, for
beautiful complexions.” Just like Pond’s at that time, this product had a patent medicine
tinge to its advertising:
‘DR. HEBRA’S VIOLA CREAM: The Greatest Discovery of the Present Century,
for Beautiful Complexion. The Only Known Preparation that will Positively
Remove Freckles, Liver-Moles, Moth-Patches, Blackheads, Tan, Sunburn, Pimples
and all unpleasant condition of the skin, of like character restoring its freshness and
purity FOR ROUGH HARD SKIN. It is a certain remedy softening, cleansing,
purifying and renewing a healthy action. YOUNG LADIES, who are afflicted with
disagreeable pimples on the face by using VIOLA CREAM, will find them
effectively removed, leaving the skin soft and beautiful. FOR PRESERVING AND
BRIGHENING The COMPLEXION, restoring the skin to its original freshness and
purity, we take great pride and satisfaction in calling your attention to DR.
HEBRA’S VIOLA CREAM with confidence supported by the highest MEDICAL
and SCIENTIFIC authority, and the testimony of hundreds of first ladies of this and
other cities. Its purifying and healing properties render the skin beautifully soft and
pure, imparting a satin-like texture and the bloom of health. It is not a cosmetic to
cover up and hide blemishes, but it is a sure cure for all imperfections of the skin.
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VIOLA CREAM is the result of a series of experiments extending over a long
period, to obtain a remedy that would remover all blemishes of the skin, combined
in a neat, elegant and agreeable form. It was our aim to excel all existing
preparation of a similar nature, to overcome their various objections and to make it
more positive in its emollient, healing and curative qualities. In view of all these
facts it is not to be wondered at the Dr. Hebra’s Viola Cream meets such universal
commendation wherever it has become known.’
(Fig. 2. Pond's Cream jar (dug)
(Fig. 4. dug jar)
(Fig. 3. Cream Jar with inlaid
decorations)
(Fig. 5. Cream Jar)
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(Fig. 6. Cara Nome Skin Cream)
(Fig. 7. Dr. Hebra's Viola Cream)
(Fig. 8a. The Secret of aBeauftiful
Complexion (Dr. Hebra's Viola Cream))
(Fig. 8. Dr. Hebra's Viola
Cream 1890s trade card)
But back to the point that anything as plentiful as cold cream jars from around the
turn-of-the 20th century can’t be worth much money as antiques. True, BUT if value is at
least a bit determined by history, cream jars are historically valuable. At least that’s part
of the hypothesis of this article.
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PONDS, WHEN? In 1846 chemist Theron T. Pond extracted a healing "tea"
from the bark of the shrub, witch hazel. It was designed for use as a topical astringent
(constricting) salve for wounds and also purported to be a remedy for numerous other
ailments. Pond was among the first to create a commercial product from witch hazel; it
became known as the early patent medicine Pond's Extract.
In 1849 Pond and several partners formed and incorporated the T. T. Pond
Company. Mr. Pond several years later sold out to his partners. He died very soon
afterward in 1852.
PONDS, WHERE? The company moved its manufacturing facilities to
Connecticut and then moved its sales offices to New York City. The company
incorporated there in 1914 with the name “Pond's Extract Company.”
[Sidebar: While 1849 is the year Pond’s created and first sold the first
witch hazel-based Pond’s Extract, a Cambridge, Massachusetts physician
Henry Thayer, (Fig. 9) developed and marketed his slippery elm and
witch hazel products in 1847, to claim to be the first and oldest in the
country to do so. His methods produced, for the first time, standardized
strengths, enabling physicians to regulate dosages accurately. The
company, named Henry Thayer & Company, prospered and broadened its
line of products and has been described as the largest manufacturer of
pharmaceuticals in America at the time of the Civil War. This company,
which is still in business, uses the claim to this day.]
(Fig. 9. Henry Thayer, M.D)
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“JWT”
(POND’S AD AGENCY FOR 146 YEARS AND COUNTING….)
PONDS ADVERTISING: Pond's Extract Company began its first national
advertising campaign in 1886, using the services of the New York advertising firm,
J. Walter Thompson Company founded in 1864 by William James Carlton. In 1877
the firm was renamed as The James Walter Thompson Company. Eventually the
advertising firm became simply J. Walter Thompson. Even though the Ponds Company
began creating other products based on its famous extract in the 1890s, it advertised only
“Pond's Extract” under the corporate name “Pond’s Healing” until 1910.
Around that time, owing to the broader availability of witch hazel at a lower price,
it became clear that Pond's Extract had no commercial future and the Ponds Company
began developing other cream products.
Sidebar: [The Roman physician Galen allegedly invented the
product called (cold) cream in the first century. Its reemergence as “cold”
cream in the late 1800s was mostly because pharmacists who sold it in
those days, kept it on ice.]
The cream products are now variously called cold cream, moisturizer, face cream,
and cleansing cream. (Studies have shown that moisturizer to be the preferred term and
that many younger people today have never heard of cold cream.)
CHRONOLOGY OF “JWT” CLAIMS OF FIRSTS TO:
• Build the first full-service advertising agency;
• Create the first international network (London 1899) and by 1930, the agency had
established offices in some 30 countries);
• Pioneer advertising careers for women. (Hired the first female creative director in
1908);
• Create the first ever-testimonial print ad by an agency (it was for Pond’s Cold Cream,
in 1925) – (Fig. 10).
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SOME OF “JWT’s” CLIENTS BESIDES PONDS:
Bayer; Bloomberg; Cadbury; DTC; Ford; HSBC; ‘Huggies’; Johnson & Johnson;
Kellogg; Kimberly-Clark; Macy’s; Microsoft; Nestle; Nokia; Rolex; Royal Caribbean;
Schick; Shell; Tim Horton’s; Unilever; U. S. Marine Corps; Vodafone.
“JWT’s” network has nearly 10,000 employees in more than 200 offices in over
90 countries, who serve over 1,200 clients.
ADVERTISING: At about the same time as industry boomed, companies didn’t
only produce more of existing goods or produce them more cheaply – they began to
manufacture entirely new kinds of products. But to sell these new products, companies
first had to convince consumers that they needed them – consequently marketing and
advertising became necessary activities.
The 1910s
“Pond's Vanishing Cream” and “Pond's Cold Cream” were first on the list of
products the Ponds Company selected to try to convince consumers they needed.
J. Walter Thompson Company began creating ads focusing on the glycerin-based
Vanishing Cream in 1910. In the early ads, Pond's Extract and Cold Cream were often
mentioned briefly at the bottom of the copy.
Sample Pond’s advertisements for 1911 and 1916 (Figs. 10 & 11).
In 1914, advertising for Pond's Extract ceased, and a new campaign was initiated,
promoting the Vanishing Cream and Cold Cream together in ads with the theme "Every
normal skin needs these two creams." The new ads drew a clear distinction between the
intended functions of the two products: “Cold Cream to cleanse, Vanishing Cream to
protect the skin.” According to a J. W. Thompson Co. report, "the success of this
strategy was immediate," with 1916 sales showing a 27% increase for the Cold Cream
and 60% for the Vanishing Cream. The campaign theme remained consistent for eight
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years (until 1921), after which sales gains began to slow, though both creams still were
leaders among the numerous brands marketed in the same product categories.
(Fig. 10. Ponds 1911 Vanishing Cream Advertisement)
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(Fig. 11. Pond's 1916 Vanishing Cream Print Advertisement)
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Until World War I (1914-1918) Ponds, much like Dr. Hebra’s Viola’s Cream
(Figs. 7 & 8), promised to cure just about whatever ailment you might have. Concerned
about the sales drop and changes in the competitive environment, John W. Thompson
Co. undertook intensive market research on behalf of the Ponds Company. The
advertising agency reached the conclusion that the two main Pond's products "…had
begun to suffer from their very leadership. Reasonable in price, used by everyone, many
women had begun to think that Pond’s creams could not be as good as creams that were
more costly or that were imported. Their enormous popularity had brought them loss of
caste; they lacked exclusiveness, social prestige."
The 1920s
By 1922, sales of the products had gone down, as many believed that such an
easily available product could not perform as well as other, "designer" products. Because
of this, the Pond's Company then targeted Royalty, politicians and people of high-class
stature to become advertisers for the company. In addition, these ads were printed in
magazines such as Vogue and others, to give customers a feeling that they really were
getting a quality product for a fair price.
J. W. Thompson Co. launched a bold strategy to give the creams prestige: a
testimonial campaign which included the endorsements of "three of the reigning queens
of Europe, six princesses, titled ladies, and leaders of American society," beginning
in 1924. The campaign was carefully planned, and the “famous women” ads were placed
in a selection of the largest circulation women's magazines, in a half dozen fiction and
motion picture magazines, and in only one "class" publication, Vogue. Sales of the
creams jumped again, and they maintained their leading positions in a crowded
marketplace of similar products.
In 1923, Queen Marie of Romania (Fig. 12) had visited the United States, and she
enjoyed Pond’s product so much that in 1925 she wrote to the Ponds Company requesting
more supplies. Her letter was, in turn, used for advertisement, and Her Majesty joined
the list of celebrities who had previously sponsored the products.
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(Fig. 12. Queen Marie of Romania)
Around the time of Queen Marie's visit to the United States, the Pond's Company
began to place offers for samples of their products in their magazine ads, and the
characters of "Peter" and "Polly Ponds" (Fig. 13) were created, as part of their
campaign to entice normal people into buying their cream again. The marketing
strategies proved successful, as sales of the Pond's facial creams went up again. "Peter"
and "Polly Ponds" disappeared from the company's ad campaigns after 1925.
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(Fig. 13. Polly and Peter Ponds circa 1925)
The 1930s & ‘40s
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During the Depression Era of the 1930s, the company's business slowed down
somewhat. After World War II, however, the Pond's company expanded slowly, adding
Face Powder and Angel Face products (Fig. 14) and cream in tubes (Fig. 15).
(Fig. 14. Pond's Angel Face Compact Powder)
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(Fig. 15. Contemporary Magazine advertisement
offering samples of both Pond's Cold Cream
and Vanishing Cream in tubes)
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The 1950s (First merger)
Pond's Company was merged in 1955 with the Chesebrough Manufacturing
Company, creators of Vaseline® Petroleum Jelly (Fig. 16) which had a good percentage
of brands in the facial care field. With this merger, "Pond's Creams" would become
sisters with the Cutex nail polish brand and the Matchabelli perfumes. With
Chesebrough in command, "Pond's Creams" became available at many supermarkets
across the United States. The creams' bottles consisted of small, glass bottles with a
round cap. The bottles could be recognized by their distinctive colors, usually in green,
blue or white (Figs. 17 & 18). That bottle design is still in use by the Pond's brand
(Fig. 19).
(Fig. 16. Vaseline Petroleum Jelly)
(Fig. 18. Pond's Vanishing Cream)
(Fig. 17. Ponds cold Cream)
(Fig. 19. Contemporary Ponds
Dry Skin Cream)
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The 1960s-1980s (Second merger)
In 1987, the Anglo-Dutch Company Unilever, giving “Pond’s Creams” a more
international reach, acquired the Chesebrough Manufacturing Company by then known
as “Chesebrough-Ponds”. New products included a variety of face powders. The joined
company diversified further with Cutex nail polishes, Prince Matchabelli perfumes, and
other products.
The 1990s-2010s
Pond’s advertising continues down the traditional cream path. For example
youthful Kylie Minogue (vocal artist) says, in (2010), that her enviable wrinkle-free skin
is because she uses Pond’s Cold Cream (Fig. 21).
(Fig. 21. Kyle Minogue says herwrinkle-free
skin is down to using Pond's Cold Cream)
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(AFTERWORD – author unknown)
“Queen Marie Of Romania”
1875‐1938
“Queen Marie of Romania (Fig. 20) was related to both Queen Alexandra (aunt)
and Grand Duchess Elizabeth (1st cousin and aunt by marriage). Most Victorians were
somewhat snobby by nature, and Marie was no exception. The difference was that she
had the intelligence to match it and knew when not to overstate her piousness. Her
mother, Marie, was the only surviving daughter of Tsar Alexander II of Russia and her
father, Alfred, was the second son of Queen Victoria. Needless to say Marie grew up in
the thick of the European related royals.
“She was born in Kent, England in 1875, the eldest daughter. Her father was a
naval officer and he moved his family from location to location throughout their
childhoods. One of Marie's favorite places was the island of Malta, where she lived for
several years. Her parents had 5 children, 1 boy named Alfred and 4 girls, Marie, Victoria
Melita, Alexandra and Beatrice. Marie and her next younger sister were particularly
close, and in an age where parenting meant little or no affection, this kind of closeness
would help mold Marie into a better mother than her own mother.
“In her youth her first cousin George (later George V of England) fell in love with
her but Marie and her immediate family did not believe in first cousins getting married.
The two would remain lifelong friends, however. She did not have an easy childhood, her
mother was very strict (like most royal mothers of the age) and her father had no clue
about interacting with children. Marie showed from an early age that she could endure
much and still come through shining, qualities that would serve her well later.
“In 1893 she married the heir to the Romanian throne Ferdinand, a short, big
eared man who was all but run over by his domineering uncle King Carol I. Marie
brought a much needed breath of fresh air into Romania. Carol's wife, Elizabeth, was a
strange character who wrote poetry under the name Carmen Sylva, and who Marie and an
on and off again relationship with. Marie and Ferdinand had 6 children, 3 boys and 3
girls. Marie was not fully allowed to raise the heir to the throne and so he turned out to be
rude and unyielding. Her youngest child, Mircea would die at the age of 4, but the rest of
her children did live on, the youngest one dying in 1991! The younger children turned out
very nice, and later in life they looked back on their mother and her life with pride and
wonderment.
“During WWI Marie did what most of her female relatives did: volunteer as a Red
Cross nurse to help the sick and wounded. She poured her heart and soul into this work
and did not take very good precautions to ensure her own life; she did not wear gloves
when dealing with a diseased man and did not have any "bodyguards" when she went
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into the Romanian countryside to see how all her people lived. She had a great respect for
the Gypsies, and loved hearing them talk about Romanian folklore.
“It wasn't until 1916 when King Carol died, but since it was also WWI Marie and
Ferdinand could not be crowned yet (they would not be crowned until 1922) although
they were King and Queen of Romania. Marie loved pomp and couldn't wait to be
crowned in a HUGE ceremony with all her people there. She was beginning to become
known as the "modern Queen" – a Queen who was not stuck in the Victorian time warp
like Queen Mary of England, and a Queen who listened to her people and made herself
available to her people.
“When WWI was over and the Allies were trying to figure out how to partition
Europe and scold Germany, Marie herself went to Versailles and represented Romania.
She wooed the ministers so much that they gave back territory that Romania had lost and
promised not to partition her.
“It was at that time that Queen Marie started to make more of an international
impression. Media was becoming a little more international and Marie was known
throughout the first world as indicate3d above as the "modern Queen". She even took a
tour of the USA where she wooed everyone, but had to cut the trip short when Ferdinand
died in 1927.
“She was a great correspondent and wrote to a huge amount of people from all
over the first world. Some of them she met, some of them not, but the ones who did meet
her were greatly impressed by her political, economical and social common sense. They
were also the first to admit that Marie was as every bit pompous as they had heard, but
they would be surprised at the calming effect Marie had on people "below her rank". She
was one of those royals that, if not for her clothes, jewelry and estates, would be just
another strong willed woman in post WWI Europe.
“One of the reasons why she is fascinating is that she had a rare combination of
royal snobbery, common sense and kindness. She was not afraid to move into the 20th
century and have a go at the latest technologies. After her husband's death she had a
difficult time with her son, King Carol II. He was very jealous of the popularity of his
mother all across Europe and the USA and decided to all but shut her out. He was not a
good king; he did not care for the country or its people, whereas his mother did.
“She spent her last years writing her autobiography, which was completed in two
volumes in 1933 entitled "Story Of My Life.” It's said to be a good book, a little boring at
times but otherwise informative. It is interesting to read directly from the source; one can
really get a sense of what Marie was like. She died in 1938 after getting a sudden illness.
Some say she was poisoned, having never been sick in her entire life before that time, but
some say she was worn out by the constant battling between she and her son Carol.
Whatever the case, it was her wish to have her heart taken out of her and buried in the
capital of Romania, while the rest of her lay next to her husband. Now that Romania is
free of communism they can once again explore their history and learn of their Queen
who loved them just as much as she loved herself!”
A couple of good books on Marie are:
"Story of My Life" by Marie, Queen of Romania
"Marie of Romania" by Terence Elsberry
"The Last Romantic: A Biography of Queen Marie of Roumania [sic]" by Hannah Pakula
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(Fig. 20. Queen Marie of Romania)
SELECTED REFERENCES
Internet reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_of_Romania
"150 years of beauty…and counting." Chesebrough-Pond's World, Fall 1996.
Dorman, Evelyn S. "Pond's." Encyclopedia of Consumer Brands, vol. 2. Detroit: St. James Press,
1994.
Gartrell, Ellen. More about the Ponds Collection. Emergence of advertising in America. (2001)
htpp:scriptorium.lib.dduke.eedu.hartman/
J. Walter Thompson Company Archives, Duke University Library. Account Files: Chesebrough-Pond's
(various typescript account histories and summaries, 1923-1935).
Munsey ––––––––––––––––––––– PONDS & JWT –––––––––––––––––––––– Page 20
Munsey, Cecil. Illustrated Guide to COLLECTING BOTTLES. Hawthorn Books, Inc. , New York
City, 1970.
Nickell, Joe. Peddling Snake Oil. (1998) http://www.csicop.rg/sb/snakeoil.html
Peiss, Kathy. Hope in a jar: the making of America's beauty culture. New York: Metropolitan Books,
1998.
The Story of Chesebrough-Pond's Inc. NY: Chesebrough-Pond's, ca. 1964.
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Phone: 858-487-7036
Email: cecilmunsey@cox.net
Munsey ––––––––––––––––––––– PONDS & JWT –––––––––––––––––––––– Page 21
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